


Live Like Legends

by okaytaehyung



Series: Got7 Dragon Riders! AU [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Choi Youngjae-centric, Dragon Riders, Dragons, Elves, M/M, Major Character Injury, Polyamory, Prince Youngjae, happy ending i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-10-21 02:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 45,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10676007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okaytaehyung/pseuds/okaytaehyung
Summary: When the tyrannical King was crowned, the Kingdom of Saeris was plunged into a pool of hatred and poverty. Dragon Riders were ordered to be killed, none could survive.The only reason Youngjae is still alive is to be used as a trophy of the Kings victory. But that will change, it will all change.Dragon Riders will live again.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I am writing on Ao3!! Constructive criticism is encouraged and any other feedback you would like to add! 
> 
> I have a playlist on Spotify of songs I listen to while writing. The playlist is called 'Live Like Legends' if you would like to check it out!
> 
> Disclaimer! The names and visuals I am using for the dragons are from the game War Dragons, they do not belong to me!

Dragons, ginormous, beautiful creatures. Humans had learned how to coexist with these beasts and learned, they weren't as violent as they first assumed. The Choosing began after a young man was 'chosen' by a dragon. A bond was immeadiately formed between the two. The people of Saeris learned that the Dragons choose humans as their companions. Humans learned how they could ride the dragons and use them for war and other tasks. 

But not everyone can be chosen by a dragon, only a lucky few are each year. People who aren't chosen can be resentful of Dragon Riders. Violence began to break out between Dragon Riders and normal people. No one knew why certain people weren't chosen, only the dragons knew. The tension between the two groups continued and escalated when Yong Seung-Li was crowned as the King. Seung-Li was not a Dragon Rider, he hated the chosen few able to tame the large beasts.

The resentful King ordered the Dragon Riders to be executed, every last one of them. Except Choi Youngjae. Youngjae was the Prince of the Kingdom, when his father died, his mother was forced to remarry. She had been forced to marry Seung-Li, a wealthy noble in the Kingdom. The King would have killed Youngjae for being a Dragon Rider, but one of his advisors suggested keeping him alive as a reminder that he had destroyed the Dragon Riders. So that's what Youngjae was. 

A trophy.

Would he ever be given his freedom? Would he ever be able to see the clouds up close, the Kingdom from above? He didn't know. He knew Seung-Li would keep him imprisoned for the rest of his life. But Youngjae knew change would come, he would be free again, him and his dragon. He didn't know how, but he had a feeling their lives would change for the better.


	2. Break of Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/war-dragons/images/8/8e/Sage1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170314040304
> 
> the link is to a picture of Sage, Youngjae's dragon :)

Three Hundred and Sixty Four Days

It had been almost one year since Youngjae had seen the sky. One year since Seung-Li had murdered the Dragon Riders of Saeris. He wasn't sure if he'd rather be dead or alive. The only reasons he wanted to live was for his mother who still loved him dearly, she would sneak food that wasn't stale bread and cold soup into his prison and make sure he had warm enough blankets or clothes for the winter weather. 

He also wanted to live for his dragon, Sage. She had been his companion for the previous five years of his life. Youngjae adored the young dragon, she was his only friend while actually living in the palace. He had spent most of his time out in the vast fields with Sage, playing in the long green grass. 

But now they were confined to a grey walled prison. For a prison cell, it was spacious because of Sage's size. Many dragons were around thirty five to forty feet tall so Sage needed some wiggle room. After a year in the dark, cold cell, you might think Youngjae would have gotten used to it. 

He hadn't.

Every single day he thought about when and how he would regain freedom for him and Sage. Seung-Li couldn't keep them locked up forever. Youngjae was brought back to reality by a gentle knock on the door. The door creaked loudly as it opened, making Sage flinch at the sudden noise. Youngjae smiled as his mother walked in, carrying a tray for him. He could feel his mouth watering at the sight of the food on the tray. 

"Come on, you don't want it to get cold do you?" his mother wondered, raising an eyebrow at the young Prince. Youngjae patted Sage's fluffy chest and got up to walk towards his mother. "Thank you Eomma," Youngjae says, bowing his head slightly before sitting down to eat. 

"Seokjin helped me prepare this for you. We made steak and I cut up fresh apples from the orchard," his mother smiled, sitting down across from him. She lets out a soft, broken sigh. Youngjae looks up, concerned. 

"You are going to see the sky again my flower," she says quietly. Youngjae finished chewing an apple slice and pushes himself over to his mother, wrapping his arms around him. "They will help you, the others will help you," she promises, her body trembling in her sons arms. 

"Wh-what do you mean? What others? Dragon Riders?" he wondered, keeping his voice down so the guards stationed outside wouldn't hear. "They're alive, and they will save you," the Queen says, looking up, a smile on her face, tears in her eyes. 

"Eomma, don't cry, It will be okay," Youngjae says gently, wiping away the tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. "Your highness, time is up, you must leave now," one of the guards says, deep voice echoing through the quiet prison. She stands with Youngjae's help. "I love you," she whispers as she walks towards the door, the guard closing and locking it as she exits.

"I love you too."

-x-

"You're sure he'll come this way," a man grumbles, face hidden by the hood of his cloak. The other male nods, eyes darting around the street. "You're drawing attention to yourself, relax Bam," the cloaked man sighs. "Sorry hyung, I'm just nervous," the younger of the two says, bouncing on his heels.

"We've been planning for months, everything will go as planned, we'll get him out of here as soon as possible and we'll take him home," the older says confidently. The cold night breeze moves the hood on the cloak, he younger can catch a glimpse of the others piercing eyes and reddish brown hair covering his forehead.

"You're right, you should leave before the guards start patrolling the streets, I don't want our leader being caught on my watch," the younger says quietly, a smile on his face. "Stay safe, Kunpimook, don't do anything stupid, you're only there for another day," the cloaked man says before disappearing into the darkness of the alley, leaving Kunpimook alone.

-x-

One Year.

It was one year ago that Youngjae was thrown into a cell like a common prisoner. His royal status used to mock him. It's too early in the morning when he hears the door creaking open. Sage grumbles as she opens her eyes, staring down at Youngjae wondering if he would get up. He rolls his eyes and stands up, watching a dark haired man enter the room. "His Majesty would like to know the guards will stop by in five minutes to collect you," the servant says. Youngjae smiles, he doesn't know whether to be happy or sad.

"Thank you, I appreciate the warning," the Prince sighs, running his fingers through his messy dirty blonde hair. The servant approaches him quickly and grabs his hand, shoving something into his palm and curling his fingers around it. Youngjae doesn't move, his body is frozen in place. He can hear the others breathing, he notices how it shakes when he exhales. 

"When it happens, use this and I'll find you," the servant whispers, just loud enough for Youngjae to here. The Prince still doesn't move, his feet feel like they are stuck to the floor. "When what happens?" Youngjae responds, keeping his voice down as well. The servant looks him in the eye and smiles.

"Can't tell you, but you'll know when it happens, now I have to go," the servant says, walking away from Youngjae and towards the door. Finally Youngjae can move again. He reaches his arm out for the servant. "Wait! Wh-what's your name?" he asks, his voice still quiet. The servant stops and turns to face him.

"Kunpimook, but if that's too difficult, call me Bambam, I'll find you later, your Majesty," he says before leaving the room, the door being closed behind him. Youngjae let out a shaky sigh and looked down to what Kunpimook had placed in the palm of his hand. A whistle. He closed his hand around the whistle, shoving it into the pocket of his loose black pants. He ruffled his hair and walked back towards Sage to wait for Seung-Li to send for him.

-x-

He could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin, but he couldn't see it. Before being taken outside, his shirt had been removed and his body was decorated in gold, a golden collar was locked around his neck and a blindfold placed over his eyes. His wrists were bound in front of him and Seung-Li led him out. He could hear the crowds outside roaring, laughing, mocking.

"Behold! The Last Dragon Rider!" Seung-Li announces, pulling the blindfold away. Youngjaes eyes burn from the sun. He squeezes his eyes shut before slowly opening them, blinking rapidly to adjust his eyes to the bright light. The sidewalks were filled with people as Seung-Li began to walk, pulling on the chain attached to the golden collar. Palace soldiers walked along the sidewalks, offering their service to the King, letting the spectators abuse the Prince by throwing glass bottles and rotten food.

Youngjae kept his head down, not in shame, but to shield his face from glass and rocks the crowds threw at him. Seung-Li suddenly stopped, Youngjae looked up at the King turns back to smirk at him. "Look around at your loyal subjects," the King sneers. Youngjae grits his teeth, he grimaced, feeling a bottle break against his back, glass digging into his skin. Seung-Li yanks on the chain, causing Youngjae to fall forward, barely catching himself on his hands. 

"Get up," Seung-Li sneers. Youngjae struggles but gets to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots the guards rushing towards the end of the street. Through the laughter and insults the crowd throws at him, he can hear screams of pure fear and something he hasn't heard in a long time.

The roar of a dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to update every few days and I will try to make the chapters long and hopefully detailed!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. I Won't Shiver, I Won't Shake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Sobek  
> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Amarok  
> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Snowdrop  
> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Fenrir  
> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Apophet  
> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Algor
> 
> At the bottom of the Wiki pages there is a gallery of a few pictures of the dragons!
> 
> Remember if you want you can checkout my playlist on spotify for the songs I listen to while writing. The playlist is called Live Like Legends!

The next roar was deafening. Seung-Li's eyes narrowed and he turned to face Youngjae. The Prince quickly scrambled to find the whistle that he had put in the pocket of his loose black pants. Seung-Li pulled him forward. "What do you know about this?" the King snarled, watching Youngjae's fumbling hands. Youngjae doesn't respond, he doesn't know what to do. Down the road, he finally spots the armored dragon, fire bubbling in its mouth.

"Youngjae!" a voice shouts. Youngjae turns his head and spots Kunpimook rushing towards him, sword in hand. Seung-Li notices to and yanks Youngjae towards him, wrapping the chain around his neck, slowly beginning to suffocate him. Kunpimook digs his heels into the ground as he stops abruptly in front of the King. "Let him go," Kunpimook said darkly, his unusual white hair sticking to his forehead, sweating rolling down his face. 

"Put the sword down or I'll kill him," Seung-Li threatens, completely ignoring Kunpimook's request. Youngjae's bound hands grip at the chains, trying to pull them away from his neck so he can breathe. Gasps and strangled coughs leave his mouth as he struggles. Kunpimook slowly puts down his sword, Youngjae doesn't miss how his eyes glance to the rooftop of a shop and back to Seung-Li. Suddenly the King roars in pain and falls to the ground, clutching his calf, releasing the chain. Youngjae stumbles forward, coughing wildly. 

"Youngjae! Come on, we have to go," Kunpimook says, making sure Youngjae can breathe properly before helping him unwrap the chain from around his neck. Kunpimook begins to work on the shackles on his wrists, Seung-Li knees on the ground, cursing loudly.

"What happened to him?" Youngjae asked, his voice hoarse. Kunpimook smirked, watching the chains drop to the ground. He grabs Youngjae's wrist and begins to run. He points to the rooftop of the shop and upon the roof sits a tall boy with dark brown hair and a bow and arrows. "That's Mark, he's a pretty good shot," Kunpimook says as he continues to pull Youngjae down the street. As the continue down the street, they pass people running and screaming in fear, and they get closer to the dragon, then Youngjae remembers something. 

"What about Sage?" He wondered, having to yell over all of the noise on the streets. "We've got it covered," Kunpimook yells back, turning his head slightly so Youngjae can hear him better. Youngjae didn't like having to go when he didn't know what was happening to Sage, but he had to trust Kunpimook. Youngjae continued to run through the streets, his bare feet stinging from the rocks and broken glass he stepped on. 

"Sobek!" Kunpimook yells. Youngjae wondered how anyone would be able to hear him over all of the noise. A dark shadow passed over them and the Prince looked up the see a turquoise and red colored dragon passing overhead. "God I missed you," Kunpimook sighs. Finally they find an open area where Sobek has landed. The dragon roars happily when he sees Kunpimook. 

"Kunpimook! Let's get out of here, Seung-Li is sending troops and artillery," a gruff voice calls down from the back of the armored dragon. The other nods and waves for Youngjae to follow him. He begins to walk, but his feet ache and sting from the cuts from glass he had stepped on. Kunpimook notices and runs back to him, squatting down so the Prince can climb onto his back. 

"We'll have Jinyoung look over your injuries when we get home, it won't take long," Kunpimook explains as he hoists Youngjae onto the back of his dragon. After Youngjae is on, he climbs on in front, instructing Youngjae to hold onto his waist. 

Oh how he missed the feeling of flying.

Once they were in the air, Youngjae felt free, it was a feeling he hadn't felt in a while. "Jackson! Is Mark hyung coming?" Kunpimook yells to dark haired male riding the armored dragon. Jackson nods. "He'll be here," Jackson yells back. Youngjae turns his head to watch behind them. Was Mark getting Sage out? Had he succeeded? A relieved sigh leave his lips when he spots Sage flying into the air, quickly gaining altitude. 

"Thank god," Youngjae sighed. When Sage slowed next to Sobek, Youngjae saw Mark on the dragons back, blood soaking through the back of his white shirt by his shoulder. "I'm fine kid, so is she," Mark yells to Youngjae when he notices the Prince staring. Youngjae bit his lip nervously and relaxed, leaning against Kunpimook's back. He stayed quiet as they flew over the forests of Saeris. He began to feel tired and the pain in his back and feet was so intense. He shifted his arms, clutching his own fingers. 

"We're almost there, hang in there," Kunpimook says to him, probably noticing how much he's shifting. Youngjae closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain by controlling his breathing but that doesn't work. He opens his eyes when he feels the dragon start to descend. He spots a large clearing in the forest below and assumes that's where they will land. Finally, they're on the ground again, Kunpimook moves quickly, instructing Youngjae to hold on as he slides off of Sobek's back, Youngjae on his back. "I'm taking him to Jinyoung," Kunpimook informs Jackson and Mark before he leaves. 

"Kunpimook! H-how is he?" a new voice asks. Youngjae looks to his side, seeing a tall man with wild reddish brown hair, he looks concerned. "Not great, Jaebum, I have to get him to Jinyoung, he cut his feet open pretty badly," Kunpimook explains. Youngjae stays silent, worried that if he even just opens his mouth his entire body will respond with pain. The man, Jaebum, frowns, his eyes traveling down Youngjae's mostly exposed body, over his bloody back and the bottoms of his feet. 

"I'll come with you, I would like to speak to him when he comes around," Jaebum says, gazing at Kunpimook before his eyes find Youngjae's half open eyes. His eyes don't stay open for long. His exhaustion and the pain take over and he closes his eyes, finding himself engulfed in darkness.

-x-

When Youngjae wakes, he's in a bed. Where is he? He doesn't even remember the last time he slept on a bed. "Youngjae, you're awake," a soft voice says. The Prince turns his head and spots the man Kunpimook was talking to earlier, Jaebum. Youngjae rubbed his eyes and pushed himself up, his arms slightly sore. "My name is Im Jaebum, when Dragon Riders were ordered to be killed me and the others escaped the kingdom and settled here, far from the town. My parents sent the message to us that you were being held captive, we've been working to rescue you for about six months," Jaebum explained to him. 

"Th-thank you, for saving me and Sage," Youngjae says, his voice is low and hoarse and he holds his hand over his mouth as he coughs. Jaebum shifts in the chair. "We couldn't let one of our own be imprisoned by the man who had murdered so many," the other male says. Youngjae brushed his blonde hair out of his face and moved to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He saw that he was wearing a loose long sleeve white shirt, brown pants and no shoes, bandages were wrapped around his feet. 

He then noticed the weight around his neck. He reached up and brushed his fingers across the gold collar Seung-Li had decorated him with. "We weren't able to get that off, we got the chain off though," Jaebum frowns. Youngjae thinks for a moment. "It's fine, it will remind me of where I came from," he says. The gold collar was a symbol that he was a prisoner, but now he had escaped. 

"So, Youngjae, I can give you a tour around the place if you would like, I don't think you've met everyone yet," Jaebum suggests. Youngjae looks down at his feet, how will he walk, his feet ached and stung from the wounds. "I can carry you on my back if your feet hurt," the other male adds, noticing how Youngjae had looked down at his bandaged feet. Youngjae felt his cheeks heat up as Jaebum bent down in front of the bed, waiting for Youngjae to climb onto his back. After a moment of staring, he quickly moved and climbed onto Jaebum's back. He felt the others arms wrap around his legs to hold him up.

As Jaebum begins to walk, Youngjae can feel the muscles in Jaebum's back moving and tending underneath him. His arms hang over the others shoulders, he loosely connects his fingers in front of Jaebum's chest. Youngjae gazed up at the sky when they walk out of the building. The sun is setting and Youngjae remembers what a sunset looks like. He remembered times when his father used to take him to the shore, south of the palace. He would take the young Prince to the giant rocks on the shore and they would sit for hours watching the sunset and then the stars. But those days were over, his father was dead, and now he had no one to watch the stars with. Youngjae let out a soft sigh, Jaebum turned his head slightly. "You okay?" he asked. 

"I'm fine, just nostalgic I guess," Youngjae responds. As Jaebum approaches another building that looks like a large barn with no door and a large opening in the wall, he sparks up another conversation with Youngjae. "How long has it been since you've been outside?" he wondered as he stopped outside the building. 

"A year," Youngjae says. One entire year of the same boring grey walls, the same musty smell, the same darkness. Now he was outside, in the sunlight and the warmth. "Maybe we'll have you sleep outside since you haven't been out in a while," Jaebum jokes, laughing softly. Youngjae can feel the sound vibrate through Jaebums back. He gazed into the barn and spotted an amazing sight. Seven gorgeous dragons, one being his own. 

"Oh wow," he breathed out, his eyes looking over every one of the six dragons he'd never seen before or only had glimpsed at earlier. Jaebum walks inside and stops in front of an icy blue colored dragon that looks like it could be made of ice. "This is Snowdrop, Mark's dragon," Jaebum informs him. Youngjae gazed up at the dragon. Snowdrop lowers her head, exhaling, her icy cold breath washing over Youngjae. "I think she likes you," Jaebum said. He then continue to the next three dragons, the armored dragon Youngjae had seen earlier, a grey and orange dragon and a red and black dragon that stood lower to the ground.

"This is Amarok, Jackson's dragon, Fenrir, Yugyeom's dragon, I don't think you've met Yugyeom yet. And Jinyoung's dragon Apophet. Jinyoung is our medic, you passed out before you could meet him. Apophet is one of the last sorcerer dragons, and these two are very protective over him," Jaebum explains pointing to Amarok and Fenrir. Youngjae laughs as Fenrir snorts, raising his head. Youngjae had never met a sorcerer dragon before, they were so rare and usually didn't Choose humans. 

"And over here is Sobek, Kunpimook's dragon whom you have already met," Jaebum says, motioning to the dragon curled up in the corner, asleep. Youngjae turns his head from the sleeping dragon when the ground shakes slightly. "You damn attention hog," Jaebum laughs. Youngjae spots the other icy colored dragon, with what looks like long tusks protruding from the sides of his face, like Sage has. 

"This is Algor, my dragon," Jaebum says. The dragon gazes down at the two, his eyes finding Youngjae. Youngjae finds the dragon magnificent, he's beautiful. "He's incredible," Youngjae says. Jaebum laughs. He then walks over to a old wooden picnic table set up near the corner of the building opposite of where Sobek is sleeping. He sets Youngjae down and sits down on the opposite bench. "There's something I want to talk to you about," he says, his voice turning serious.

"Okay, what is it?" Youngjae asked, turning his body to face Jaebum. "We need your help to take Seung-Li out, he isn't the rightful King, you are," Jaebum says. Youngjae is silent. He had never even thought of that. He was the true King of the kingdom, not some noble his mother was forced to marry because Youngjae 'wasn't ready to be King'. 

"I'll help you, anything you need I'll help you with," the Prince says confidently. Jaebum nods, and bows his head slightly. "I appreciate the help, we've been working to try and get help on the inside too so when the time comes, we'll already have weakened Seung-Li without him noticing," Jaebum says. Youngjae can tell Jaebum is a very strategic and thoughtful man, by the way his eyes observe the surroundings. 

Youngjae is about to open his mouth, but someone rushes in yelling Jaebum's name. "Jaebum-ah! Jaebum-ah!" a voice yells, finally stopping when the boy stops running, reaching the picnic table. Jaebum frowns and stands up. "Yugyeom, what's wrong?" he asks, placing his hand on the other males back to help him relax. 

"The Elven village, it's been attacked by Saeris troops," Yugyeom explains. Jaebum's eyes grow dark. "Take Youngjae back to Jinyoung and tell Jackson and Mark we're leaving so soon as possible for the Elven village," Jaebum orders. Yugyeom nods and walks towards Youngjae to pick him up. 

"I'm sorry about the interruption, but I have some business to attend to," Jaebum says, bowing his head to Youngjae before he calls Algors name and the dragon follows him out of the barn. Yugyeom sighs, looking down at the ground. "What did the troops do to the village?" Youngjae asked timidly.

"They burned it down," Yugyeom responds, his voice low.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make this chapter longer and I really hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I appreciated all of the comments on the last chapter, they were so encouraging and really got me motivated to write the next chapter. So thank you so much for the great comments!


	4. Here Comes Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are the Dragon Riders and their dragons safe from Seung-Li or will they have to fight for their lives as long as Seung-Li is King?

The Elven village was decimated. The Elves who resided in the village rushed around with wooden buckets filled to the brim with water to try to put out the fires still burning. Jaebum, Jackson and Mark landed their dragons, Mark and Snowdrop helping the Elves put out the rest of the fires. Jaebum wandered through the village, finally stopping when he found who he was looking for. "Namjoon, what happened?" he asked the leader of the Elven village. Namjoon's eyes were dark with grief.

"The Saerins came, brandishing their torches, demanding we give up the location of the remaining Dragon Riders. When we didn't, they set fire to our village," Namjoon explains, hands clenching into fists at his sides. Jaebum let out a sigh, fingers gripping his hair in frustration. Namjoon and the rest of the villagers had aided the surviving Dragon Riders since they had been driven out of the Kingdom. When they had first escaped the Kingdom, the Elves found them, they fed and clothed them. And when they left, they wished them the best and offered to send supplies whenever they needed anything. Jaebum was grateful to have an ally like Namjoon. 

"I apologize for the trouble, but I appreciate your loyalty," Jaebum says, bowing his head in respect. Namjoon laughed softly. "We don't betray our allies, Jaebum," the Elf says, raising an eyebrow. The two are silent for a moment, then Namjoon looks at Jaebum in the eye, his serious expression returning.

"Keep an eye on your Prince, they want him back," Namjoon says, voice low, warning him. Jaebum nods, aware that Youngjae's safety was to be taken seriously at all times. "We'll keep him safe," the Dragon Rider says. Namjoon smiles and nods his head, brown hair falling over his eyes. 

"We can help clear out debris and start rebuilding if you would like," Jaebum suggests. He can see the look of relief pass over the Elf's face. "That would be wonderful, thank you," he says happily. 

-x-

"The wounds on your feet are starting to heal, but you should probably stay off of them for a few more days until they heal enough," Jinyoung advises as he looks over the multiple cuts and gashes on the bottom on Youngjae's feet. He can hear Kunpimook and Yugyeom conversing outside of the infirmary, Yugyeom's voice is low and it scares Youngjae. Kunpimook told him he's barely like this, it's only because of what happened to the Elven village which had been his home for a long time. 

Yugyeom was human but he had been born and raised in the Elven village, his parents were wrongly convicted "criminals" so they ran away from the Kingdom and were taken in by the Elves. "Thank you, Jinyoung," Youngjae says as the medic begins to run a cream over his aching feet. "Call me hyung," Jinyoung says. His dark eyes are focused on the wounds on Youngjae's feet. The Prince flinched when the medic pressed a little too hard on one of the healing cuts. Jinyoung apologizes, his voice soft, eyes not diverting from the wounds.

"Seung-Li always told me all the Dragon Riders were dead except me, did he know about everyone here?" Youngjae asks, fingers fumbling with a blanket on the bed beneath him. Jinyoung finished wrapping clean white bandages around Youngjae's battered feet and looked up, brushing his hands on his messy shirt. "He knew about us, he couldn't tell the public there were other survivors, so he hired mercenaries and assassins to try to hunt us down, but Kunpimook gave us all we needed from his position in the castle," Jinyoung explains to the confused male. 

"What did Kunpimook do at the palace?" he wondered. He had only been visited by Kunpimook once and had no idea what his role was in the castle. "He was lucky enough to be Seung-Li's personal servant and was able to gather important information for us," Jinyoung says as he goes to the sink to wash his hands of the blood and dirt. The door suddenly opens and Kunpimook and Yugyeom walk in. 

"How are you feeling, Youngjae," Yugyeom asked, "I'm Yugyeom by the way, I wasn't able to formally introduce myself earlier," he adds seconds later, his voice had a nice sweet tone, unlike the dangerous low tone he had spoken with earlier. "I'm okay, It's nice to meet you, Yugyeom," Youngjae responds with a small smile. The room became silent, Youngjae looked down at his hands, not sure what he should say to these people he had just met. 

"Hyung, why did the troops burn the village down?" Youngjae asks, looking up again. Jinyoung lets out a soft sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I'm assuming he figured out they were aiding us," the medic responds. "They won't find us here right? I can't let Seung-Li lock me up again," the young Prince says, his lip quivering. 

"They won't find us here, there's no need to worry, and if they do we're going to protect each other, it's what we do," Kunpimook says. Youngjae let out a soft sigh of relief. “You should get some rest, it's been a long day, you must be tired,” Jinyoung suggests before helping Youngjae get his legs under the blanket on the rickety bed. The medic leaves a glass of water on the nightstand for him before the three say their farewells and leave Youngjae alone to sleep. The Prince stares up at the ceiling, everything is hitting him all at once. Seung-Li can't keep him as a prize anymore, he’s been rescued by other living Dragon Riders.

His fingers absentmindedly travel up the the golden collar still around his neck that served as a constant reminder that he had escaped his old life of captivity and mistreatment. Youngjae was now also feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him. He had passed out earlier, but he was still drained of energy. He happily drifted off to sleep.

-x- 

“I'm sorry we have to leave early, but we have a bit of a problem,” Jaebum says, entering the makeshift tent that served as Namjoon’s office and living space. The Elven leader looks up, confused. “Mark informed us that Saerin assassins passed the village, they're heading straight to the base,” the frantic Dragon Rider explains quickly. Namjoon nods understandingly and stands up, walking to Jaebum's side and walking him outside. 

“Then you must go, if they find your Prince and leave alive, you will all die,” Namjoon says, placing his calloused hands on Jaebum's shoulders. Jaebum and Namjoon say their goodbyes and Jaebum runs off to Algor who is ready for him along with Jackson and Mark with Amarok and Snowdrop. “How do they know where the base is?” Jackson snarled as they take off into the air. 

“Not sure, maybe a lucky guess since the village is on the way to the base,” Mark responds. Jaebum can tell the older male is trying to stay calm. They fly in silence, the tension building as the base comes into sight. He can hear the faint roars below and can see fire. Algor lets out a loud roar as he descends into the open field, the other dragons following. As soon as they land, Jaebum dismounts, they have to make sure everyone is okay. 

“Mark, Snowdrop sniff out the assassins, I want them dead, they can't leave alive,” Jaebum orders, “Jackson, Amarok come with me, we have to find the others,” the leader adds before the small group goes their separate ways. Jaebum leads Jackson and their dragons towards the house, some nearby trees are on fire and Jaebum spots Yugyeom and Fenrir, the dragon's glowing eyes scanning the trees.

“Yugyeom! What happened?” Jackson yells to the younger male. Yugyeom looks down and purses his lips. “Assassins found the base, there are three, two are out in the woods nearby, Fenrir can smell them nearby,” Yugyeom says, eyes going back to the tree line. Jaebum’s eyebrows furrowed. Yugyeom said there were three but only two were outside. “Where's the third?” Jaebum asked. 

“He has to be in the house still, shit. Jinyoung and Kunpimook went to put out the fires in the barn. Jinyoung took Youngjae to his room and locked the door,” Yugyeom curses. Jaebum's eyes narrowed. He couldn't be mad at the others now, even though they had left Youngjae alone, they had still tried to offer him protection. He could imagine how scared Youngjae probably was at the moment, he had to get him out. “Jackson stay with Yugyeom, Im going to get Youngjae, watch the house too, we have to find the assassins,” Jaebum says before leaving Algor outside and venturing inside the house.

It was too quiet for his liking and he had the feeling someone was watching his every move. He slowly drew his sword as he walked down the hall, he had to get to Jinyoung's room. Jaebum doesn't hear or see anything on his way to the staircase or as he walks up the creaky stairs. The hallway is dark, but he can see the door frames. Jinyoung's room is on this floor. He continued down the hall and approaches Jinyoung's door. 

The door was wide open.

Jaebum's muscles tense and he takes a deep breath before walking into the room. The room was dark, the only light coming from the moon outside the window. His footsteps echo in the silence surrounding him. “Youngjae? Where are you? It's Jaebum,” he whispers, praying for a response. The room is silent for a few more seconds before a quiet, shaky voice responds. “Cl-closet,” the voice whispers back. Jaebum hurries towards the closet and opens the door, finding Youngjae curled up on the floor, his eyes wide in fear. “Hey, it's okay, I'm going to get you out,” the older male says quietly, reaching into the closet to scoop Youngjae into his arms. 

The Princes eyes widen even more if that's possible and he screams. “Jaebum! Behind you!” he yelps, staring at something over Jaebum's shoulder. The older male whirls his head around, but it's too late, there's a sword embedded in his shoulder, the assassin wielding it slowly starting to twist. Jaebum screams out in agony. Youngjae reacts quickly, taking Jaebum's sword and swinging it quickly, cutting the assassins hand, making him withdraw his hand from the blade. Youngjae gets to his feet, holding the sword tightly. Jaebum feels lightheaded and tired, the pain is too much. His vision begins to blur, through his blurred vision he spots Youngjae fighting with the assassin, the assassin armed with a dagger, having trouble blocking Youngjae's quick blows. 

“Jaebum, you need to keep your eyes open!” he hears Youngjae yell. The assassin jabs at Youngjae's abdomen and narrowly misses, giving Youngjae the opportunity to stab the blade into the assassins stomach. Youngjae backs away, breathing heavily before quickly turning to Jaebum, looking frantic. “You're going to be okay, j-just hold on, I'll get Jinyoung and he’ll fix you up, just stay awake,” Youngjae says, his shaking hands hovering over Jaebum's body. The next few minutes were a blur.

Youngjae had left to get Jinyoung and Jaebum was left alone, slowly bleeding out. He can hear footsteps rushing down the hall towards the room Jaebum was in. Suddenly, Jinyoung is hovering over him, his lips are moving but Jaebum can't hear what he's saying. Kunpimook stands nearby, holding onto Youngjae. Jaebum only feels a rough tug as Jinyoung pulls the blade from his shoulder. He internally apologizes to Jinyoung as he closes his eyes, letting himself drift into unconsciousness.

-x-

“We heard the dragons outside, they were going crazy. The assassins got into the house, I don't know how, Yugyeom chased them out, we thought we had all of them out, but I had to go help Kunpimook with the fire so I told Youngjae I would leave him in my room and lock the door,” Jinyoung explains to Jackson, the two of them sitting in the infirmary watching over Jaebum. 

“So how'd he get into your room?” Jackson asked. Jinyoung shrugged, gazing over at Jaebum sleeping peacefully. “I don't know, but I feel awful, the assassin could've killed him, almost killed Jaebum,” Jinyoung said, rubbing his eyes in frustration. Jackson frowned. They had been planning Youngjae's rescue for six months, they all wanted to save the young Prince, they wanted to give him the life he deserved. As fellow Dragon Riders they felt responsible for saving the imprisoned boy.

“Seung-Li won't stop looking for him, and for us now,” Jackson says. Jinyoung looks over at Jackson, hands placed on the table between them. “Then we’re going to have to stop Seung-Li.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story will start picking up now, I have so many plans for it! I can't wait to write more :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> I also have another 2jae story in the works that I will hopefully post soon :)


	5. Tell Me, Is This Freedom, Baby?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One...  
> Two...  
> Three...  
> Four...  
> Five...  
> ...Six?

It had been a few days since the assassins had came. Everyone was on edge, always watching, observing. Youngjae’s feet were finally healed enough for him to walk again and he had got to know everyone at the base very well. The young Prince had learned his way around and even through certain trails in the forest he enjoyed walking down. Youngjae sat in the sand, looking out at the vast ocean in front of him. Saeris was an island kingdom, like the many others surrounding it. Youngjae hadn't seen the sparkling blue water in a long time. He decided to bring Sage with him, the young dragon was very interested in the small fish swimming in the shallows. 

Youngjae rested his back against Sage’s side and let out a long breath. The sun was just beginning to rise, the sky was a mix of orange, purple and blue. It was beautiful. 

“Enjoying the view?” a voice suddenly asked. Youngjae jumped and turned his head, his body relaxing when he sees it's just Jaebum. “You scared me, hyung,” Youngjae said, turning back to gaze at the water. Jaebum laughed softly and walked towards him, sitting down beside him. They were silent for a while, until Jaebum broke that awful silence. 

“I didn't know you could fight,” the older male says, looking over at Youngjae. Youngjae brushed his fingers through his blonde hair and smiled. “My father taught me a little bit before he passed away, he told me it would be a good skill to have when I became King,” Youngjae said, looking down. Haebum sighs and moves closer to Youngjae, patting his shoulder.

“The assassin probably would've killed me, and you if you hadn't done that, so thank you for keeping us alive,” Jaebum says, his voice quiet and sincere. Youngjae looks out at the waves crashing against the rocks and smiles. “You're welcome,” he said happily. Sage snorts and Youngjae turns his head to look up at her. She groans, probably meaning to say, ‘you better stay alive’. Youngjae laughs and pats her side gently. He notices Jaebum staring at him, a smile on his face. Youngjae feels his cheeks getting warm and he looks down again. 

“Hyung, how's your back?” He asks, to break the sudden awkward silence. Jaebum shrugs his shoulders, being careful of the wound on his back. “It's sore, but it feels better than it did a few days ago,” Jaebum responds, moving his fingers through the warm sand beneath them. Youngjae stood up and kicked off his shoes, looking down at his bandaged feet. He then walked towards the water, feeling the breeze in his hair. He got closer to the water, until his toes began to sink into the damp sand. The water lapped at his toes and sprayed onto his legs.

He then began to walk into the shallow water, he turned his head to look behind him. He was surprised to see Jaebum kicking his shoes off and peeling off his loose black shirt. Youngjae's eyes went to Jaebum's bandaged upper body and trailed down to his abs. He looked up at the other male's face when he realized he had stared too long. Jaebum trotted into the water, splashing Youngjae's legs. The Prince leaned down, letting his fingertips brush over the surface of the water. His eyes widen as he feels a force pushing him forward, into the water. When he comes back up, he can hear Jaebum laughing wildly. He opens his eyes and splashes water at the other male. Jaebum smiles at him, “I couldn't resist,” he said, still laughing. 

Youngjae just rolled his eyes before splashing Jaebum again. The other male moves forward, putting his arms out before tackling Youngjae, both of them falling into the water. Youngjae closed his eyes as he fell back, his arms wrapping around Jaebum's neck as they fall into the cool ocean water. It feels like time slows as the two swim up to the surface of the water. Youngjae plants his feet in the sand and stands up, wiping salt water away from his eyes. His white shirt is soaked and sticks to his chest and back. Jaebum finally comes up for air, water dripping down his face, his neck, his chest…

Youngjae feels his cheeks heat up again and he looks down at the water. He can hear the water splashing as Jaebum moves towards him. “Maybe we should get back to the base, get changed and start training,” Jaebum suggests. Youngjae looks up at him, confused. “Training? Training for what?” he wonders. Jaebum smirks and takes his hand.

“We have to take the kingdom back sometime soon don't we?” Jaebum stated, raising an eyebrow mischievously. 

-x-

For what felt like the millionth time in the past few hours, Youngjae had a sword at his throat. “You have to anticipate what I'm going to do, you can't just wait, that gives your enemy a better chance at catching you off guard,” Jackson says as he reaches his hand out to help Youngjae off of the ground. The younger male brushed his dirty hands on his pants and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. “Lets try again,” Youngjae says, grabbing his sword and stepping back, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“You sure? We can always take a short break, we've been at it for a while,” Jackson suggests, but Youngjae shakes his head. “One more time,” he says. The older male sighed, but gave in, grabbing his own sword and stepping away from Youngjae. Youngjae slowly stalks forward, gripping the hilt of the sword, scanning Jackson's arms and legs for any movement. He got closer, still sensing no movement from the other male. Youngjae made the first move, swinging the sword at Jackson's stomach, barely missing as Jackson jumped back. Youngjae watched as Jackson regained his balance and began moving his arm to thrust his sword forward. Youngjae moved his arm to block, but quickly moved seeing Jackson begin to put his weight on his back foot, getting ready to turn around himself. Youngjae moved forward, kicking Jackson's front leg out from underneath him.

Jackson fell back onto his back, but quickly began to get up. Youngjae moved forward, sword pointed out in front of him. Jackson didn't move, a small smirk formed on his face. Suddenly Youngjae felt the (sadly) familiar feeling of sharp metal against his neck just above the gold collar and a hand gripping the back of his shirt. “Remember to always watch your surroundings for the enemy,” Jaebum said into his ear, before letting go of his shirt and moving his sword away from Youngjae's neck. Youngjae let out the breath he had been holding and reached a hand out to help Jackson up. He then turned around, glaring at Jaebum.

“This was supposed to be one on one,” he said, with fake anger. Jaebum laughed, sheathing his sword. “I'm just giving you a possible situation, always keep your guard up,” Jaebum said, pointing a finger at the Prince. Jackson came up to Youngjae's side and patted him on the back. “That round was a lot better, I saw you were watching,” Jackson said happily. “Thank you hyung!” Youngjae smiled. He hadn't been able to sharpen his skills while he was locked up in a prison for a year so he was glad he was able to train again. 

“Jinyoung has lunch ready inside, I came to get you two,” Jaebum said, revealing the reason he had interrupted their battle. The three began walking back to the house, passing the barn. Youngjae smiled seeing Sage playing with the other dragons, she had always been social and Youngjae was happy she was able to see other dragons. “Where's Mark?” Jackson wondered, looking over at Jaebum as they made their way to the house. 

“Last time I saw him, he told me him and Snowdrop were going hunting, our food supply is low and we can't take anything from the Elven village yet, they're still rebuilding,” Jaebum says, opening the door of the house, letting the two in before he walks in. Youngjae can hear Yugyeom and Kunpimook in the living room, Kunpimook sitting on an old couch, Yugyeom laying across the couch, his head laying in Kunpimook’s lap. Youngjae smiled, maybe they were like him. By like him, he meant they were attracted to the same gender. Youngjae had always questioned his sexuality, even when he was young. He didn't want to marry a princess, he wanted a knight in shining armor.

As they walked into the kitchen, Jinyoung is finishing setting the table, placing food along the long table. “Let's go lovebirds, your food will get cold,” Jinyoung yells to the two in the living room. Youngjae can hear them giggling as they scramble into the kitchen. Youngjae smiled as Kunpimook dragged Yugyeom into the kitchen, holding the younger male's hand tightly. The six in the room gathered around the table taking their seats. Jinyoung stayed standing and walked over to open the window. “Mark should be home now, he said he wouldn't be gone long,” Jinyoung said, obviously worried. Jackson put a hand on Jinyoung's back. “He’ll be home soon, maybe he caught something,” Jackson suggests, lightening the mood .

“If he isn't back in an hour I'm going to look for him,” Jinyoung sighs before sitting down in one of the two open chairs. Jackson looked over at the window for a moment before looking back at the table. It was silent for a moment. “Let’s eat,” Jaebum says, breaking the silence. As they ate, there was obvious tension in the room. When Mark didn't return on time, the group started to worry, something bad could've happened to him. After what happened with the assassins, it was possible. They are in silence, everyone was on edge, glancing at the open window every few seconds, waiting for Mark and Snowdrop to return. 

-x-

Jackson stood by the door, his feet tapping against the ground. Youngjae frowned and slowly approached him. “Is Mark hyung usually late?” Youngjae asked, his voice quiet. Jackson just shook his head and moved to lean against the doorframe. Youngjae gazed outside through the doorframe, the door wide open, waiting for Mark to return. “I should go look for him, we need to bring him back,” Jackson said as he stood up straight and headed outside. 

“I'll come with you!” Youngjae yelped, slipping his shoes on quickly before following Jackson outside. The older male turned around and let out a soft sigh. “Youngjae its better for you to stay here, we have to keep you safe. If something bad happened to Mark…” Jackson trailed off, looking down at the ground. “We can't have anything bad happen to you too,” he continued after a moment of hesitation. Jackson turned around and began walking again, Youngjae scowled and continued to follow the other male. 

“I don't want to be useless, please hyung, let me come with you!” The young Prince pleaded, grabbing onto the back of Jackson's jacket. Jackson swiveled on his heels, causing Youngjae to lose his grip on the jacket. Jackson grabbed his wrist, not in a threatening way, there was a worried look in Jackson's brown eyes. “Stay close to me and Amarok, and listen to me,” he finally says, releasing Youngjae's wrist before heading to the barn to collect their dragons.

-x-

“Where the hell is he?” Jackson growled, looking down at the forest upon Amarok’s back. Youngjae and Sage flew closeby, Sage observing the trees below them. It was getting darker every minute as the sun began to disappear below the horizon and Youngjae was growing extremely worried. Mark was still gone and soon it would be too dark to search. Sage suddenly let out a distressed noise and began descending towards a patch of destroyed trees. Jackson and Amarok followed close behind. 

“Hyung! Look,” Youngjae exclaimed when he finally saw Snowdrop, the hunter dragon was lying on the ground, surrounded by destroyed trees. She was bleeding from multiple wounds. “Shit,” Jackson cursed as the two dragons land on the forest floor. Jackson quickly slides off of Amarok’s back and rushes towards the injured dragon. Youngjae looks around at the destroyed trees and brush, there's no sign of Mark. Sage whimpered, gently nudging Snowdrop’s side. The injured dragon groans and opens her eyes. Jackson’s expression is unreadable as he checks Snowdrop’s injuries. Youngjae slid off of Sage’s back to scout around the area for any sign of Mark. 

“Youngjae, go back and tell Jinyoung to come out here with Apophet,” Jackson says, turning to find the younger male upon Sage’s back, doesn't doesn't find him. “Youngjae? Youngjae what the hell, stay close!” Jackson exclaimed, finally finding the Prince. Youngjae waved him off and continued looking around. He had a feeling he knew who was behind this, he just didn't want to believe it was true. But he found the evidence that led him to the culprit. 

“Jackson,” Youngjae calls out, his hands shaking. Jackson turns away from Snowdrop, making his way towards Youngjae. “What is it?” the older male asked. Youngjae looked down at the arrow in his hands, the word ‘Saeris’ carved into the shaft. This was an arrow used by Saerin archers in the military. 

“It was Seung-Li, he has Mark,” Youngjae concluded. He heard the growl from Jackson and turned to see the other male heading back to the dragons. Youngjae timidly followed him, his elbows pressing into his sides. “I swear to the Gods I'm going to kill him, we need to get Jinyoung out here to help Snowdrop, then we're going home, we need to get Mark back,” Jackson snarls as he mounts Amarok. 

“Stay here, don't move from here, I'll be right back, stay safe Youngjae,” Jackson says before Amarok takes off into the sky, leaving Youngjae and Sage alone with Snowdrop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting to the part of the story where the dragons are very important and there will be action! I'm so excited to write it and I hope you enjoy this chapter and future chapters!


	6. I Can See The Truth Hiding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get a little peek at Youngjae/Yugyeom bc this is lowkey OT7

Youngjae was terrified. It had gotten darker since Jackson had left. The sun had disappeared and the cold night had settled in. Youngjae did what he could for Snowdrop while they waited for Jackson to return with Jinyoung and Apophet. He now sat curled up against Sage’s neck, trying to warm himself up. He didn't like how dark it was, he didn’t like the sounds he was hearing around them. He pulled his loose black shirt closer to his body to try and gather warmth, but his attempt wasn't so successful. Sage whimpered before wrapping her wings around Youngjae, shielding him from the cold. Youngjae felt the warmth immeadiatley. “Thank you,” he sighed as he curled up against the dragon. 

Youngjae closes his eyes, starting to feel drowsy. Sage stays awake, watching over Youngjae and Snowdrop who is now sleeping. After a few minutes of silence, Youngjae sits up hearing rustling in the bushes close by. He hears a laugh close by and he gets to his feet. Sage growls, opening her mouth slightly to show the fire bubbling, threatening to shoot out. “Sage, let me out,” Youngjae says. The dragon growled and hesitantly moved her wings, letting Youngjae see who was in the area. His heart stops when he sees the person he hates most. “Where is Mark?” Youngjae growled, his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. Seung-Li just laughed again, stepping closer to Youngjae. Sage got to her feet, glaring down at the King. 

“So naive, I'm not sure how you hadn't figured me out yet,” Seung-Li says. Youngjae’s expression changes to confusion. What did Seung-Li mean? When Youngjae didn't respond, Seung-Li spoke again. “The Yong Family never had a son, only daughters,” he says. The Yong Family were one of many noble families living in Saeris, thinking back to when his mother had taken him to meet the famil he did only remember meeting two daughters, both a few years older than him. “Th-then how are you a part of that family? Who are you?” Youngjae wondered, he was so confused, Seung-Li wasn't who he appeared to be. 

“Did your daddy ever tell you about magic?” Seung-Li asked, smirking at the young Prince. Youngjae's eyes widened. He'd heard stories about Witches, Wizards, Mages and Sorcerers, a few lived in the Kingdom because most succumbed to their abilities and allowed darkness to take control. They were evil, and so was Seung-Li. Youngjae stepped back, he had no weapons and he had to stay with Snowdrop until Jackson returned, he didn't know what to do. Seung-Li raised his arm, a blue mist forming in his palm. Sage growled and stepped forward with a roar. Seung-Li then thrust his arm forward, the most passing Youngjae and surrounding Sage. 

“Sage!” Youngjae yelped as the dragon swayed and fell to the ground, unconscious. “What did you do to her!” Youngjae snarled, turning to face Seung-Li. He was furious, he didn't care what happened to himself, but if something happened to Sage… that's another story. Youngjae was about to spring into action but Seung-Li flexed his wrist and suddenly, Youngjae couldn't move. He grit his teeth, trying to lift his arm. He felt like he was encased in concrete, unable to move even a millimeter. Seung-Li calmly walked towards him, his hand traveling up Youngjae’s outstretched arm. 

“Your friends will be here soon, sadly we don't have much time together,” Seung-Li sighed, his hand trailing over Youngjae's shoulder, his fingers then finding their way around Youngjae's neck, just above the golden collar, forcing his head up. “I can make you do whatever I want you to do, maybe I'll make you kill your friends when they return. Then, you can publicly execute your friend in my custody,” Seung-Li laughed, a crazy look in his eyes. Youngjae had never seen the King this way, it truly scared him. 

“Please, no,” Youngjae whispered. It felt like Jackson had been gone an hour, Youngjae just wanted to go back to the base and curl up in his bed. Instead he was in the middle of the forest, encountering Seung-Li, now revealing himself as a Sorcerer. He pulls a small dagger from his pocket and brings the top of the blade to Youngjae's exposed collarbones. “You don't have the upper hand here, I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” the Sorcerer snarls. In the distance, Youngjae can hear the flapping of large wings and he almost cries in relief. 

“Jackson! Jinyoung!” Youngjae screams, his throat aching from the volume of his cries. Seung-Li grit his teeth. “I told you to keep your mouth shut,” he snarls before swiping the blade across Youngjae's neck, above his adam's apple. Youngjae's eyes widen as the stinging pain fills his body. He suddenly collapses as Seung-Li disappears into the darkness. He can feel the blood flowing from the wound, luckily he can still breathe, meaning his windpipe hadn't been severed. “Youngjae!” A frantic voice calls. When he's rolled onto his back, he's staring up into Jaebum's worried eyes.

“Youngjae, what happened, shit,” Jaebum says as he removes his jacket before lifting Youngjae's head to carefully wrap the jacket around his neck to stop the bleeding. Jinyoung appeared next to Jaebum and pushed the other away telling him he needed space to work. Youngjae opened his mouth to speak, but Jinyoung shushed him. “Don't talk, you'll make it worse, just relax,” Jinyoung says as he takes bandages out of his leather satchel. He carefully removes Jaebum's jacket from around Youngjae's neck and grimaced at the cut. He gently presses a ripped off piece of the bandage to the cut. 

“You're lucky it’s fairly shallow, tomorrow you can explain what happened, we have to get you all home,” the medic said. His voice was soft as he wrapped the bandages around his neck, not too loose but also not too tight to make it uncomfortable. Jaebum was now kneeling beside Sage, a flower in his hand. Jinyoung helped Youngjae get to his feet, he looked back and saw the blood stained grass where he had been laying. He walked over to Jaebum, feeling slightly dizzy, and kneeled beside him, gently stroking Sage’s snout. He still had no clue what Seung-Li had done to her and didn't know how to wake her. But apparently, Jaebum knew. 

“Mage Flower, it reverses spells cast by magic users,” Jaebum says, noticing Youngjae's inquisitive look. “She obviously isn't just sleeping, it has to be magic,” Jaebum says, holding the flower close to Sage’s snout so she can breathe in the scent of the flower. Soon after, she was beginning to wake, her limbs stretching, eyes fluttering open. Youngjae let out a relieved sigh as Sage lifted her head and carefully got to her feet. 

“Let's get home. Snowdrop is okay to fly,” Jinyoung announces, walking over to Apophet, patting the dragon’s side before mounting. Jaebum walks at Youngjae's side until he has climbed onto Sage’s back. After Youngjae is seated on top of Sage’s back, Jaebum jogs over to Algor who had been guarding the area in case they were ambushed. “Let’s get out of here,” Jackson said, looking back, a sad look in his eyes. Youngjae could also see how Jinyoung’s eyes glanced around, a frown on his face. Sage lifted off of the ground and slowly rose into the air beside the other dragons and took off into the night.

-x-

“So you're saying Seung-Li is a Sorcerer?” Jackson wondered. Youngjae nodded. It was morning now, and the remaining six Dragon Riders were gathered in the kitchen, asking Youngjae question after question after question to figure out what happened. “He has to be, now we know how dangerous he really is,” Youngjae says, his voice quiet and scratchy. Yugyeom pushed himself off of the wall and walked towards Youngjae. “Well now we know, so how do we rescue Mark?” the youngest of the six asks, placing his hands on the table. Jaebum let out a sigh, rolling his shoulders. 

“We have no clue where Seung-Li is keeping Mark,” Jaebum says, obviously frustrated by the fact. Kunpimook jumped up excitedly. “Snowdrop can find him!” he exclaimed. Jaebum's eyes lit up and he smiled. 

“We could leave tonight, he probably wouldn't be expecting it,” Youngjae suggested. Jaebum nods and clasps his hands together. “We all go tonight to rescue Mark,” Jaebum decides, his eyes scanning the satisfied faces of his friends. “I'm going out to collect Mage Flower, we’ll need it if we encounter Seung-Li,” Jaebum announces, walking towards the door. Youngjae jumps out of his seat, following the older male. 

“Youngjae you should stay and rest,” Jaebum says with a soft sigh when he notices the younger following him. “Hyung you can't just keep me cooped up inside, I was already stuck inside for an entire year,” Youngjae argues, crossing his arms in front of his chest stubbornly. Jaebum let out a long breath and finally gave in, letting Youngjae go with him. The two slipped on their shoes, Jaebum also grabbing a bag made from grass woven together. “Come on Youngjae,” Jaebum says, motioning for the other to follow.

“I know some good spots to find Mage Flower, Jinyoung makes me supply him with it for medicine, there's plenty we can use,” Jaebum explains as they walk. Youngjae looks over at Jaebum and purses his lips. “Why didn't he take me when he had the chance?” he wondered, turning his head to look down. Jaebum stopped and grabbed Youngjae's wrist. “I don't know, but I'm glad he didn't, we worked for six months on a plan to rescue you, if he would've taken you, it would crush us,” Jaebum said with a frown. 

“But he took Mark, because of me,” Youngjae said. Jaebum began walking again, still holding onto Youngjae's wrist. The older male doesn't respond until they reach a meadow, long grass reaching their knees, blue and violet flowers mixed in with the green blades. “And we're going to get Mark back, and we’ll take your kingdom back,” Jaebum says, releasing Youngjae's wrist to bend down to pluck the flowers out of the earth. He places the flowers into his bag and looks over at Youngjae. “Don't be so negative, now help me pick flowers,” the older male smiled before he moved to another group of violet flowers. Youngjae managed a small smile and began to help, gently pulling the gorgeous flowers from the dirt.

-x-

The moon was rising in the sky, a cool breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees. In the clearing where the base was located, seven dragons and six Dragon Riders prepared for their mission. Jaebum draped a jacket over Youngjae's shoulders, telling him to put it on. “It'll be cold while we're flying,” he says before he ties a cloth around his head, his nose and mouth. Jinyoung walks towards the Prince, handing him a dark cloth. “To keep your identity hidden, well as best as you can,” the medic explains. Youngjae thanks him and ties the cloth around his head, copying Jaebum.

Yugyeom walked towards him, placing his hands on his shoulders before wrapping them around his neck. “Relax hyung, you're too tense,” Yugyeom points out, resting his chin on Youngjae's shoulder. Youngjae notices the tension in his muscles and lets out a sigh, relieving the built up tension. Kunpimook walked towards the group, his white hair hidden, covered by the hood of his cloak. “Is everyone ready to go?” Jaebum asked, his eyes traveling to each of the present Dragon Riders. Jackson sheathed his sword and walked to Jinyoung’s side, taking his hand. Jinyoung gave him a soft smile.

“We all know what the plan is, correct?” Jaebum said, the others nodding. They had discussed their plan to rescue Mark earlier and had gone over it multiple times to make sure there were no flaws. Jaebum took Youngjae's hand for a brief moment, squeezing it reassuringly before walking to Algor, patting the dragon’s side before climbing onto his back. Youngjae licked his lips, letting out a shaky breath as Jaebum walked away. He didn't know what Jaebum did to him, but whenever the older was near, Youngjae felt safe. He liked that feeling, a lot.

He brushed his fingers through his hair before he begins walking towards Sage, the dragon gazing down at him excitedly. Youngjae smiled as he climbs onto Sage’s back, patting her side gently. “We can't go home just yet, we have to save Mark hyung first,” Youngjae says. Sage whines and stretches her wings, the bright blue color on the ends sparkling in the moonlight. The surrounding dragons lift off of the ground, wings flapping as they ascend into the air. Sage followed, joining the other dragons in the air. 

“We follow Snowdrop,” Jaebum announces. Snowdrop stays still for a moment before she begins flying north, towards the kingdom. The others follow close behind, giving the leading dragon space. The cold night air ruffles Youngjae's hair, the jacket he's wearing doesn't help when they're in the air. Everyone is quiet, except for Jackson and Jinyoung in the front of the group. Youngjae could see the lights from the kingdom ahead of them, the palace placed upon the hill, that's where Youngjae assumed they would be going. Suddenly Snowdrop turned, heading west. Youngjae frowned, he remembered his father telling him about the forest west of the kingdom. 

Youngjae had been told to never venture into that forest. The hunters called it Hell’s Forest. Monsters lurked behind every tree, underneath every bush, the thought of going their frightened the Prince. But he had to stay strong, to save Mark. This was for Mark. Sage begins to descend towards the treetops and Youngjae's eyes begin to play tricks on him. He begins to see shadows on the forest floor, weaving through the trees. He leaned forward against Sage’s neck and takes a deep breath. Snowdrop finally landing, in a small clearing, it was slightly cramped for the seven dragons. 

“Jinyoung, Kunpimook, stay here, stand watch. Jackson and Youngjae, Yugyeom come with me,” Jaebum says, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. Snowdrop fidgeted, her eyes scanning the tree line. “Which way do we go,” Jaebum said softly. The dragon sniffed at the air and turned the face the tree line, pointing the group in the right direction. “Thank you,” Jaebum smiles before waving the group forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I tried to throw in a little twist to spice it up!
> 
> I also almost cried seeing Youngjae on V Live, I'm so happy he's doing well :)


	7. Singing From Heartache, From The Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isn't everything supposed to be getting better?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of and implied rape

Youngjae jumped at every sound, he was nervous but he knew he had to be strong, he had to be useful. He let out a shaky breath before he continued walking, trailing behind Yugyeom. “You okay hyung?” Yugyeom asked, his voice quiet. Youngjae nodded in response, taking Yugyeom’s hand, squeezing it gently. He heard Yugyeom laugh softly and hid his face in the younger male’s shoulder. “Let’s go hyung, Jackson and Jaebum are leaving us in the dust,” Yugyeom says as he begins to jog to catch up to the two others. 

Jaebum stops suddenly and holds his hand out behind him, signaling for the group to stop. Hidden in the darkness, was a log cabin, there was a candle lit in the window, everything else was dark. “Follow me, stay quiet and as hidden as possible,” Jaebum whispers. Youngjae stays close to Yugyeom and Jackson, Jaebum walking a few steps in front of them. As they neared the cabin, Youngjae noticed the door was open, just a crack. Jaebum looked back and locked eyes with the Prince before following his gaze to the open door. Jaebum smiled and turned to the group again. 

“Jackson watch our backs, I'll go in first,” Jaebum says quietly before cautiously slipping out from the brush towards the cabin. Yugyeom and Youngjae follow, Jackson close behind, sword unsheathed, eyes observant. Jaebum reaches the door and carefully pushes it open revealing a dark living room. There is no movement, no sound, nothing. Jaebum ushers the others inside, Jackson still guarding their backs. “I don't think they're here, hyung,” Yugyeom says quietly. Jaebum looks around slowly before turning to Jackson. 

“Jackson, Yugyeom check upstairs, Youngjae and I will check the basement,” Jaebum decides. Jackson nods and leads Yugyeom towards the staircase. Near the staircase going up, is the opening for the staircase going down. Jaebum pulls out a dagger, Youngjae pulling his sword from its sheath as well. “Stay close to me,” Jaebum says softly before he begins his descent down the staircase, Youngjae following close behind. 

“Mark? Are you there, it's Jaebum,” Jaebum says quietly, Youngjae prays to hear an answer from their missing friend. The two are silent for a moment before Youngjae begins to hear soft whimpering from the basement. He locks eyes with Jaebum and begins to walk down the stairs again. By now, their eyes begin adjusting to the darkness of the cabin and Youngjae can see three figures on the basement floor. As he steps off of the stairs he can see Mark lying limp on the ground, his body barely clothed, dirt smudged on his face, chest and arms. 

“Hyung!” Youngjae yells as he rushes forward towards the older male lying on the dirty floor. Jaebum noticed the two other figures, both pars of wide eyes on him. Jaebum moves towards them and cautiously gets on his knees. One of the unfamiliar males whimpers around the cloth gag in his mouth, his two-toned blonde and brown hair sticking to his forward, tears streaming down his cheeks. Jaebum carefully pulls the gag out of his mouth allowing the boy to speak. 

“They're still here, you have to help us please.” Despite the boys light and feminine features, his voice is deep and raspy. Jaebum turns to Youngjae, the younger untying the ropes around Mark’s wrists and ankles. “Where are they?” Jaebum asks as he begins to assess the damage to the boy’s malnourished body. “U-upstairs, c-can you help him please?” the boy asks, his eyes flicking up to gaze at the other unfamiliar boy lying behind him.

Jaebum nods and moves to the dark haired male, removing the gag from his mouth and untying the rope around his wrists and ankles. “What are your names?” Jaebum asks. He feels his heartbeat speed up as he thinks about Yugyeom and Jackson who had gone upstairs. “J-Jungkook, that's Taehyung,” the dark haired boy says, his voice is raspy as well, and seeing the condition they're in and the lack of clothes on their bodies, he thinks he knows why. Jaebum is disgusted by it. “We’ll get you home, don't worry,” Jaebum says as he moves onto Taehyung, releasing his wrists and ankles from the rope that was wrapped tightly around them. Jaebum pulls off his cloak, wrapping it around Jungkook’s shaking body before pulling his black jacket off and handing it to Taehyung.

“Youngjae, is Mark okay?” Jaebum asked, gazing over at Youngjae who was hovering over Mark, looking unsure. “H-he's breathing, but he's not really moving,” Youngjae said nervously. “Th-they used him last, he passed out before they finished,” Taehyung said, his voice starting to shake as he spoke. Youngjae’s eyes widened. “What did they use him for?” he asked, Jaebum could tell from the tone of his voice that he already knew the answer, but he was just confirming his suspicions. Taehyung didn't answer, his delicate body shuddered in response. 

“We have to get out of here, quick, they're still here,” Jaebum says to Youngjae before turning to the two behind him, “do you think you two can walk?” he wondered. Jungkook nodded, he looked the strongest out of the two while Taehyung looked pale and weaker. Suddenly there was a loud crash upstairs, Jaebum drew his sword as he heard footsteps approaching the top of the staircase. Jaebum could hear Youngjae's shaky breathing behind him. “Send one upstairs and nobody gets hurt,” a gruff voice said.

“I'll go, stay here, I'll be back soon,” Jaebum says to Youngjae. Youngjae wants to protest but Jaebum is already making his way up the staircase. “Y-Youngjae,” Mark’s soft voice echoed through the quiet room. Youngjae quickly rushed to Mark’s side. “H-hyung! Are you okay?” Youngjae asked nervously. Mark nodded and sat up, his body shaking. Youngjae takes off his jacket and places it over Mark’s shoulders. Now they just had to wait for Jaebum.

-x-

Youngjae didn't know how long he had been in the basement, he hadn't heard much upstairs and he was starting to worry. He began to pace around the room, trying to keep his breathing steady. He jumped when he heard the stairs begin to creak as someone slowly walked down them. Youngjae backed up towards Mark, Jungkook and Taehyung, unsheathing his sword. He had to be strong, he had to be brave. In the darkness shrouding the staircase, a figure appeared. Youngjae gripped his sword, watching the figure move closer. 

“Who are you?” Youngjae snarled. He knew Jaebum would've let him know he was coming, but this obviously wasn't Jaebum. The figure didn't respond, it only slowly made its way down the stairs until it stood on the basement floor. Youngjae squints in order to see the features of the figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. Youngjae has seen this man before. He knows exactly who this awful man is. He grits his teeth, pointing his sword forward. “If you cooperate, your friends upstairs will survive,” Han-Jae, the Saeris Kingdom slaver, growls. Seung-Li had brought Han-Jae to see Youngjae when the King had considered having Youngjae sold as a slave. 

Youngjae looks back at the other three in the room, he had to do something, he had to save them. “What if I don't?” he questioned, grip on his sword tightening. The slaver laughed darkly. “I don't think you want to be rebellious right now, your Majesty,” Han-Jae smirks. Youngjae sighed in frustration. Just as he thinks he's defeated, a thought comes to mind. He suddenly falls to the ground, his sword falling from his grip but landing close by. “Youngjae!” Mark yelps. He hears shuffling closeby and a low groan as Han-Jae grabs his waist. 

“Stupid kid,” he sneers as he throws Youngjae over his shoulder. While training with Jackson, Youngjae had learned a trick, never fight with only one blade. He felt the dagger slide down his sleeve, landing in his hand. Han-Jae was heading for the stairs to go up but he didn't make it far. Youngjae stabbed the blade into the slaver’s back, causing the man to roar in pain. Youngjae was roughly thrown to the ground, landing near his sword, dagger in his other hand. “Let them go,” Youngjae snarled as he got to his feet, his back aching from hitting the ground. A loud grunt came from the staircase. “What the hell is going on down there?” the voice growled.

“This fucking bitch stabbed me,” Han-Jae yelled angrily. The other male on the staircase groaned as he began walking down. Han-Jae looked back at the man walking down the stairs. “Just grab the bitch,” the man says. Youngjae holds his sword out threateningly. The man laughs and grabs both of his wrists. The man is big and strong and easily wrenches the blades out of his hands. “We’ll be back for you three, stay here and stay quiet,” the man snaps before he picks Youngjae up like he weighs nothing and throws him over his shoulder. Youngjae pounds on the man's back with balled fists, trying to kick his legs as well. The man holds Youngjae's legs down as he walks up the stairs. 

“Settle down, bitch,” the man yells as he harshly slaps Youngjae’s thigh. When they arrive in the living room, he notices that candles have been lit to add light to the dark room. He sees Yugyeom on the floor, blood dripping down his face, caked over his left eye. Jackson is cradling his wrist, a pained expression on his pale face. And then there's Jaebum. The reddish brown haired male is being held down by a Saerin soldier, his body thrashing on the floor. “What does Seung-Li want done with them?” One of the men ask. Han-Jae grumbles and looks around the room. 

“He’ll probably have them killed, except for the Prince. He’ll either keep him or sell him,” Han-Jae explains. Youngjae settles down as he's set down on the floor. “What kind of slave?” the soldier holding Jaebum down asks, a smirk on his face. He gives the Prince a predatory look. “Probably a pleasure slave, just look at him,” Han-Jae says, holding his hand against the stab wound. Youngjae crawls towards Jackson to get as far away as he can from the men. 

“Is Mark down there?” Jackson asks, a worried look in his eyes. Youngjae nods. “There are two other boys down there too, these men used them for sex,” Youngjae responded quietly. Jackson goes quiet, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Youngjae hears a pained groan from Jaebum and flinches, all he wants to do is help him, but the men are staring him down like he's fresh meat. Suddenly a loud roar shakes the house. The men rush to the door in shock. Youngjae could cry in relief when he sees Algor and Sage through the window, Algor lowering his head to peer through the window. 

“Grab the Prince and go,” Han-Jae yells as the men begin to scatter. Youngjae feels an arm wrap around his waist and a rough tug as he's pulled away from Jackson. “Hyung!” He screams in pure terror. He can barely see as he is dragged away from the others and out the back door of the cabin. The soldier who had been holding Jaebum down was pushing him to the ground. “Stay quiet,” he whispered as he reached into his satchel, pulling a long strand of rope out before beginning to wrap it around Youngjae's wrists. 

“Please stop, let me go,” Youngjae cries, he knows no one can hear him. Once his wrists are secured, the soldier shoves a cloth in his mouth. “You better be quiet or I’ll fuck you whenever I want,” the soldier threatens. Youngjae's eyes widen in fear and he quiets down. “Good,” the soldier smirks before throwing Youngjae over his shoulder (which he's really tired of by now) and rushing off into the trees. 

-x-

“How the hell did you lose him?” Jinyoung yelled. Mark and the two other boys they rescued were all sleeping soundly in the living room of the house. After returning to Jinyoung, Kunpimook and the dragons, they had admitted to themselves that Youngjae had been taken and had gone home. Jaebum had refused to leave with the group and stayed behind to look for him. “Someone grabbed him before I could react,” Jackson said, his head down. Jinyoung groaned in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. “We have to get him back as soon as possible, those guys were rapists! Slavers!” Yugyeom exclaimed. 

Kunpimook stood behind the chair he sat in, rubbing his shoulders gently. A bandage was wrapped around and over Yugyeom’s left eye to cover the cut over his eye that luckily had done no damage to his eye. Jinyoung nodded, his lips pursed. The room was silent for a moment, no one was sure what to say. Then, a raspy voice called from the living room. “I-I may know where they took him,” Taehyung says, now sitting up from the bed of blankets that had been laid out for him and Jungkook. The black sweater he had been given hung off of his lean frame, exposing his prominent collarbones. Jinyoung looks over at the frail boy with a soft smile.

“Can you tell us where he may be?” the medic asked, his voice was soft and inviting. Taehyung nodded and cleared his throat, wincing slightly. “They had a facility near the kingdom, where they imported foreign slaves, they probably took him there,” Taehyung said, his hands rubbed against his neck, covering up the dark red and purple marks painted on his neck. Jinyoung gave the young boy a grateful smile. “Thank you so much,” he said with a relieved sigh. Taehyung smiled back at him, looking down as Jungkook’s hand gently grabbed his wrist, pulling it close. 

“We’ll wait until Jaebum comes back, then we’ll go,” Jinyoung says, Little did they know, Jaebum was already on his way to the slavers facility. He was prepared to save Youngjae, again.


	8. Save Me From Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: slight descriptions and scenes of rape

He felt dirty.

Disgusting.

Vile.

Youngjae lay on the damp floor of the dark cell, shivering from the lack of clothing on his body and the coldness of the basement. A chain was attached to the gold collar still around his neck, that chain was attached to the wall, keeping him tied up like a dog. After being taken from the cabin, the soldier had taken him in the direction of the kingdom, stopping at the slavers facility. Youngjae had always hated slavery and the idea of treating another human being like property, it was awful. Youngjae had never experienced the treatment slaves endured, but now… now Youngjae was at the bottom of the food chain.

He was being used to fund the slave business. Once Youngjae had arrived at the facility Han-Jae, who had somehow made it back alive, sent the message to the closest in his crime circle. Slavery was illegal when Youngjae's father had ruled, but Seung-Li changed the law after becoming King. 

Youngjae was quickly introduced to the life of a pleasure slave when he arrived at the facility. Now, he didn't want to move, his legs ached, his throat burned. His insides were jumbled and he felt sick. He flinched, curling in on himself when he heard the door to the dungeon creak open, heavy footsteps moving towards his cell. “You poor, pathetic child,” a familiar voice sneered. Youngjae looked up, glaring daggers at Seung-Li. The King laughed, leaning against the bars. 

“You're lucky Han-Jae didn't bleed out, you would wish you were dead,” Seung-Li snarled. Youngjae looked away, his body curled up in a fetal position. He just wanted to be left alone. He just wanted help, he needed Jaebum. “He's coming to collect you shortly, you have clients,” the King laughed before turning and walking away. Youngjae hated him. Despised him. When he had been locked up at the palace, Seung-Li came to torment him regularly, reminding him of what he was, a prize. Youngjae wanted to cry, but he knew the tears would be flowing soon. When he heard heavy footsteps again, his heart stopped. He heard the cell door creak open and felt a tug on the chain as it was unlocked from the wall. 

“Get up, bitch,” the slaver ordered, tugging on the chain harshly. Youngjae was pulled up by his neck causing him to choke. The Prince decided that obeying would cause him less pain, he remembered when he had fought back only hours earlier and how the men had practically ripped him open in the most horrifying way possible. He was still sore and could feel the searing pain from those terrible moments. He slowly got to his feet, the slaver gave him a disapproving look.

“I never said you could stand, on your knees, now,” he demands. Youngjae hates being afraid of rebelling. Any other time, he would gladly lash out, fight back. But this was a different situation. In this situation, his innocence was being taken from him forcefully and in the worst way. He knew if he fought back it would only be worse for him. He got down on his hands and knees, head down in humiliation. The slaver laughs and tugs on the chain, an order to move forward. Youngjae follows the slaver, his knees aching as he is forced to crawl up the stairs, his knees already bruised from earlier. 

Once they are out of the basement, Youngjae can hear two men laughing. The slaver guides Youngjae into the large living room where three men are sitting, one of them being Han-Jae. Youngjae freezes, he's terrified, he begins to back away in fear. “Let’s go, bitch,” the slaver orders, roughly pulling Youngjae back into the room. “No! Stop, please!” Youngjae cries, scrambling to get to his feet. The slaver pulls on the chain and grabs the golden collar before he wraps the chain around Youngjae's neck, cutting off his air supply. He begins to panic, he can't breathe, he's gasping for air, clawing at the chain. 

“Behave,” the slaver snarls, letting go of the chain. Youngjae falls onto his side, his body shaking, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. “What a pretty one he is, come here,” the more muscular of the two unfamiliar men says. Youngjae lets out a soft sob as he gets to his hands and knees, crawling towards the men on the couch. The man smirks at him as he pats the open spot on the couch next to him. The slaver hands the chain to the man and leaves the room with Han-Jae, closing the door behind them. “Up,” the man says. Youngjae climbs up onto the couch, he can see the other man moving spots on the couch to sit behind Youngjae. It makes him nervous. 

The man in front of him begins to pull his pants down, just enough to release his erection. Youngjae is disgusted, he doesn't want this, he just wants to go home. The man tugs on the chain, forcing his head down. “Suck,” he orders, keeping the chain pulled taut so Youngjae can't escape. He takes a deep breath before relaxing his jaw and leaning down to take the man’s erection into his mouth. He hates himself for doing it, but he despises the men making him do it even more.

“That's a good bitch,” the man groans, carding his fingers through Youngjae's blonde hair. Youngjae tries not to think about what he's doing, trying to focus on any positive thought he can. He thinks of Mark, of Yugyeom, of Kunpimook, of Jinyoung, of Jackson, and of Jaebum. The man smacks his cheek when he stops moving. Behind him, he can feel hands on his rear, spreading him open for what will happen next. He begins bobbing his head, slowly. The man soon gets inpatient and grips Youngjae's hair, pushing his head down until he's gagging. 

When the man lets go of his hair, Youngjae pulls away, coughing and wiping his mouth. The man behind him snarls and pushes him down. Youngjae can feel something against his thigh, he knows exactly what it is. He lets out a shaky breath as he feels the man’s length pressing into him. He lets out a pitiful cry as the man quickly begins thrusting hard into him. Next thing Youngjae hears is his own screaming filling the room.

-x-

Blood stains his thighs, his entire body aches. After the session with the two men, Han-Jae didn't even bother taking him back downstairs. It was getting late anyways and Youngjae could barely move. He lay on the floor beside the couch on the scratchy carpet. He's been crying since the men left, silent tears falling from his bloodshot eyes. There's a knock at the front door of the building and Youngjae can hear the door being opened. 

“Cousin! It's been awhile since you've stopped by,” Han-Jae exclaims. Suddenly Youngjae's eyes are wide. The sound of a familiar voice shocks him. “It has, we've been all over the sea,” Jaebum's voice explains, “I've heard you've found a desirable piece of merchandise.” Han-Jae chuckles and footsteps make their way to the living room. Youngjae gazes at the doorway, he sees Jaebum, his face is uncovered and his hair looks darker and more brown. 

“He's very special,” Han-Jae smirks, looking down on Youngjae. The Prince curls up into a ball, his toes curling. “Ah, I see, how much is he?” Jaebum asked, looking over at Han-Jae. The slaver raised an eyebrow and let out a loud laugh. “Oh, he's not for sale,” he says. Jaebum sighs, his hand creeps into his pocket. 

“I apologize for this, cousin, but I need to take him,” Jaebum says, swiftly pulling out a dagger and sliding it across Han-Jae’s throat. He doesn't waste any time getting to Youngjae. Seconds later, Jaebum is kneeling at Youngjae's side, his hands shaking, hovering over Youngjae's fragile body. “J-Jaebum,” Youngjae cries softly. Jaebum shushes him and grabs a blanket from the couch, helping Youngjae sit up before wrapping the blanket around his body. 

“I'll explain my relations later, I need to get you home,” Jaebum says, his voice shaky but calm. Youngjae pulls the blanket around him, flinching when he feels Jaebum's arms slip around his body. He sees a frown appear on Jaebum's face when Youngjae flinches away from his touch. “I'm not going to hurt you, Jae,” Jaebum says softly, waiting a few seconds before moving to pick Youngjae up. The younger relaxed, he knew Jaebum wouldn't hurt him but he felt so disgusted with himself and his body. He remained still as Jaebum scooped him up into his strong arms. 

“We’ll be home soon, Youngjae,” Jaebum says quietly as they pass Han-Jae’s lifeless body on the floor. Jaebum whispers an apology before walking out of the room.

-x-

“I'm worried about Mark,” Jackson said, rubbing his eyes in frustration. Jinyoung nodded. “I know, we’re going to help him get better, don't worry,” Jinyoung said, trying to stay optimistic in this situation. They had learned from Jungkook about what had gone on in the cabin and how the men residing inside it were employees of slavers. Jungkook told Jinyoung about how him and Taehyung had been captives for months, stuck in that hell of a cabin. The two were so grateful towards their rescuers and offered to help find Youngjae by telling Jinyoung what they knew about the slave industry. 

“He's barely said a word since he woke up,” Jackson said, falling back onto his bed, gazing up at the ceiling with a lost look in his eyes. Jinyoung frowned and walked towards the bed, slowly crawling onto the mattress. Jackson looked over at him as he lays down, head resting on Jackson's arm. “Maybe he’ll talk to Jungkook and Taehyung, he experienced what they've had to go through,” Jinyoung thought, hoping he would be right. Ever since Mark had woken up, he has been silent and wouldn't let anyone touch him, even to clean him up. It hurt Jinyoung to see the other in such a vulnerable state. He hated it.

“When is Jaebum coming back? We have to go find Youngjae,” Jackson asks, his fingers now brushing over Jinyoung's dark hair. Jinyoung shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know, but as soon as he comes back we're leaving,” Jinyoung says. The two were silent for a moment, both unsure of what to discuss next. Jinyoung yawned, curling up against Jackson's side, he was exhausted, but he wouldn't get sleep just yet. He closes his eyes to attempt to rest until Jaebum returned, but was disturbed only seconds later. Loud footsteps rush towards his room. Jinyoung groans and sits up as Kunpimook stops in the doorway, eyes wide. 

“What's wrong?” Jinyoung asked, seeing the younger out of breath. “Jaebum is back, he has Youngjae,” Kunpimook revealed. Jinyoung and Jackson immediately jump out of bed, following Kunpimook down the stairs and out of the house. Sure enough, Jaebum is walking towards them, Youngjae in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. “Oh my god,” Jinyoung breathed out when he got closer. There were dark red and purple marks all over his neck and collarbones, tears stained his cheeks, his eyes were squeezed shut. 

Jaebum continued to walk, gazing at Youngjae worriedly. “Jaebum, what happened to him?” Jackson asked, following behind the older male. “He was taken to a slaver, he was assaulted,” Jaebum answers as he walks inside, Kunpimook holding the door. Jinyoung stops. He was assaulted as well? The Kingdom of Saeris was so horribly corrupted under Seung-Li’s rule. When living in the Kingdom before being forced to flee, Jinyoung used to see awful scenes of women being assaulted in alleyways by soldiers, but he had been too afraid to act, too afraid that the soldiers would hurt him as well. 

“Take him to the infirmary, Mark, Taehyung and Jungkook are there,” Jinyoung orders, hoping to be able to help Youngjae somehow. Jaebum nods and walks down the hall to the infirmary. When he walks in, Mark’s head turns and his eyes widen. “Youngjae,” he whispers. Jaebum places Youngjae down on an open bed, keeping him wrapped in the blanket. The Prince’s eyes opened slightly, his lip trembled. “H-hyung.” His pitiful voice fills the quiet room as Jinyoung walks to his side. Jinyoung frowns and gently runs his fingers through Youngjae's greasy hair.

“Can I help you get cleaned up? I'm not going to do anything you don't like,” Jinyoung says. He hopes Mark can hear him and will consider allowing Jinyoung to help him as well. Youngjae looked hesitant but nodded his head. Jinyoung smiled and let out a relieved sigh. “Jaebum can you step out until I'm finished?” He asked, turning his head to look at Jaebum standing at the foot of the bed. He frowned but nodded before walking out of the room. Jinyoung got up to grab a cloth and a bucket, filling it with water. He got back to Youngjae and set the bucket on the ground beside him.

“Can I take the blanket off?” Jinyoung asked, dipping the cloth in the water, wringing so it wasn't dripping everywhere. Youngjae nodded, letting out a shaky breath as Jinyoung moved slowly and carefully, pulling the blanket away from Youngjae's body. His eyes widened at what was hidden underneath. The marks painted his thighs and there were bruises and irritated scratches on his hips. What disturbed Jinyoung the most was the dried blood on Youngjae's thighs. It wasn't from being cut. “Oh Youngjae,” Jinyoung breathed out, clenching his hand into a fist. Youngjae just looked away, tears forming in his eyes.

“It'll be okay, don't worry,” Jinyoung says as he carefully moved Youngjae's leg to get better access to his thigh to begin cleaning away the blood. He felt the younger flinch and stopped moving until he relaxed. The medic carefully washed the blood off of Youngjae's thigh and with Youngjae's permission, he washed the blood from between his legs. Youngjae was shaking as Jinyoung brought him clean clothes, loose black pants and a loose white shirt. “H-hyung, can you help me?” Youngjae asked, trying to pull the pants over his tired legs. Jinyoung noticed he dark bruises on the youngers knees and nodded. He helped Youngjae get his legs into the pants and then helped him get the shirt on. 

“Thank you,” Youngjae said tiredly. Jinyoung smiled. “Get some rest Youngjae,” Jinyoung said, tears forming in his eyes as he grabbed a clean blanket, placing it over Youngjae's body. Youngjae nuzzled into the pillow and shut his eyes, quickly falling asleep. Jinyoung smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. He then heard a soft voice behind him. “J-Jinyoung?” Mark said quietly. The medic turned to see Mark sitting up on his bed, his fingers moving restlessly in his lap. Jinyoung moved towards his bedside. 

“Can you help me?” Mark asked. Jinyoung was so relieved to hear that. He nodded his head. “Of course,” he said, wrapping his arms around the older male.


	9. I Need That Fire Just To Know That I'm Awake

The recovery process was long and full of hardships. Jungkook did his best to help the three others affected by sexual assault. The Dragon Riders had learned that Jungkook and Taehyung were sailors, Jungkook working in the Naval Force of the neighboring island Kingdom of Thonada. Their ship had been overtaken by Saerin pirates and most of the crew were sold to the slave business. Jungkook and Taehyung, who were lovers, were lucky to have been able to stay together. Jungkook was barely used for pleasure, he was used for labor because of his strong physique. Taehyung was rather unlucky, while he was in shape, his soft and feminine features made him the perfect fit for a pleasure slave. 

Mark and Youngjae were grateful for Taehyung’s advice on how to feel comfortable with their bodies again. They spent a lot of time with him, talking, bonding. Jaebum had explained his relations to Han-Jae. The two were distant cousins, when Jaebum was forced to flee the kingdom, his parents informed his family that Jaebum had become a sailor and was currently sailing the ocean. Jaebum had found the location of the slavers facility because he had visited with his family before to see Han-Jae and his family. Jaebum had never really gotten along with Han-Jae but having to kill him still affected him. 

Mark had finally moved out of the infirmary and began sleeping with Jackson. Jinyoung stayed in the infirmary, watching over Youngjae, Jungkook and Taehyung. Jaebum visited Youngjae everyday when he wasn't planning. Youngjae had been told about Jaebum's plans to take the Kingdom back. Jaebum was planning to kill Seung-Li. 

“Hyung, we barely know what he's capable of, how are we going to kill him?” Youngjae asked. He was spread out on his bed in the infirmary, Jaebum seated at his bedside. “The dragons will help us, don't worry,” Jaebum says, moving his hand to play with Youngjae’s soft blonde hair. Youngjae sighed and looked over at Jaebum. 

“What's the plan?” he asked. Jaebum smiled and shifted in his seat. “We’ll threaten to destroy the village in order to get Seung-Li to come out. If he knows you're with us then he’ll come,” Jaebum explains. “Then, we’ll kill him,” he adds after a moment of silence. Youngjae nods slowly. He wasn't against killing Seung-Li, he was just so anxious about having to rule the Kingdom. He had been given the training, but he didn't think he was ready. He's silent for a moment, he can feel Jaebum's eyes on him, the older male's fingers in his hair. 

“Hyung, I can't rule the Kingdom,” he said quietly, his voice cracking. Jaebum frowned and leaned forward. “Of course you can, Jae. We’ll be there to help you if you ever need it,” Jaebum says. His voice is soft and kind, it's welcoming. Youngjae let out a shaky breath, curling up onto his side to face Jaebum. Jaebum's fingers massage his scalp, it's relaxing. Jaebum looks over at the window and sighs. “I should probably go back to planning,” he says, sounding disappointed. Youngjae sat up quickly, his hand finding Jaebum's. 

“Take me with you, I know the Kingdom better then anyone,” Youngjae says. He doesn't want to be left in the infirmary again. Taehyung and Jungkook were outside with Kunpimook and Yugyeom tending to the dragons, leaving Youngjae in the infirmary alone. Jaebum turned his back to the bed, motioning for Youngjae to climb on. The younger smiled happily and crawled towards Jaebum, carefully climbing onto his back. Jaebum wraps his arms around Youngjae's legs to keep him up. Jaebum took him to a small room, a table placed on the middle. Maps and pencils littered the tabletop. Youngjae recognized the map as being of the Saerin Kingdom and the surrounding village made of mostly nobles on the inner ring and ‘peasants’ on the outer ring.

“What do you have so far?” Youngjae asked as Jaebum set him down in a chair. Jaebum looked over the maps. “We can land towards the outskirts of the inner ring. If needed, Apophet can create a forcefield to protect us from Saerin archers,” Jaebum explains, placing his finger on a black X on the map. “Seung-Li will come if you're there,” Jaebum says, “Mark will have his bow, if you're okay with it, he can end it,” he finishes. Youngjae's brow furrows. He shakes his head. 

“I'll do it,” he says. Jaebum gives him a worried look and sits down beside him. “Are you sure? Killing someone isn't the easiest thing to live with,” Jaebum reasons. Youngjae shook his head. “You killed your cousin,” he said. Jaebum grit his teeth and looked down. “I did, but I did it to save you,” the older says quietly.

“And I'll do it to save my Kingdom,” Youngjae says sternly. Jaebum is silent, looking down, the muscles in his shoulders tensing. “You know, soon you'll have to listen to what I say,” Youngjae adds, his tone lighter, more friendly. Jaebum cracks a small smile. “I guess you're right,” he replies. Youngjae giggled and began looking over the maps. He looks over the spot Jaebum had marked for them to land. 

“Maybe we should land to the east side, the south side is more heavily guarded,” Youngjae suggested, looking up at Jaebum. The older male was smiling. “Thanks,” he said, marking another X at the east side of the Kingdom.

-x-

Youngjae was dozing off, his head resting on his forearms. Jaebum leaned against the wall, tapping a pencil against his cheek. It was late, but Jaebum was still planning. As the leader of the last remaining Dragon Riders, he had to keep them safe, even when carrying out dangerous tasks. Youngjae had begun snoring lightly, it wasn't abnoxious, it was almost cute. Jaebum smiled down at the younger male, scanning his flawless features. 

His skin was slightly tan and smooth. His blonde hair fanned over his forehead, casting shadows over his eyelids. The glint of the gold collar still stuck around the Prince's neck caught Jaebum's eye. The collar was studded with sapphires and designs were carved into the gold. It was elegant. His eyes traveled lower to the dark markings on Youngjae's collarbones and the side of his neck He felt anger flaring inside him. Why had he been too late to save Youngjae from that?

Why couldn't he save Mark? Was he a bad leader? He didn’t know. He placed the pencil on the table, he would continue tomorrow. He gathered Youngjae into his arms and left the room. As he expected, it was dark outside and the moon was high in the sky. Instead of taking Youngjae back to the infirmary, he decided to take the younger to his room. His bed was big enough for two. Jaebum gently kicked the door open and placed Youngjae on the old King sized bed. He quickly changed his clothes and climbed onto the bed. He pulled the blanket over Youngjae and himself and laid down, closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him.

-x-

It was in the early hours of the morning that Jaebum woke to screaming. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, turning his head to the side to see Youngjae writhing around on the bed, the blanket tangled in between his legs, hoarse screams being ripped from his throat. Jaebum scrambled to calm him down, he placed a hand on Youngjae's shoulder, gently shaking it. “Jae, Youngjae, you're okay, wake up!” he says, trying his best to wake the other from his bad dream. Youngjae is gripping the pillow so tightly, his knuckles are turning white. Jinyoung and Kunpimook appear in the doorway, both have wide eyes, their hair dishelved from sleep.

“Youngjae!” Jinyoung exclaimed, rushing to the side of the bed. Jaebum shook Youngjae's shoulders more harshly, and finally, he woke up. Youngjae's eyes opened quickly and the screaming stopped. His eyes flicked around the room like he was realizing where he was. His chest rose and fell quickly, the sound of his heavy breathing filling the room. “Hey, are you okay?” Jaebum asked, his eyes on Youngjae, giving the younger a worried look. Youngjae looked like he was choking on his words, tears filled his eyes. “H-hyung,” Youngjae cried, moving forward towards Jaebum, falling into his outstretched arms. 

“Will he be okay?” Kunpimook asked, smoothing his hair down. Jinyoung nodded, sitting on the side of the bed. Youngjae's body trembled as he pressed himself against Jaebum, fingers gripping the back of his shirt. Jaebum's hands rub the younger's back, slowly calming him down. Soon, his breathing is steady and his body is still, except for the rise and fall of his chest. Jaebum gently pushes Youngjae back to see his face, his hands moving to cup his face, his thumbs wiping the tears away.

“What were you dreaming about?” he asked. As soon as he asked the question he felt Youngjae tense, his muscles tight underneath his skin. “You don't have t-” Youngjae cuts him off quickly. “You, y-you and everyone else,” he said, his voice quiet and broken. “E-everyone was dead o-or dying, and it was m-my fault,” Youngjae said, his eyes gazing down at his lap.

“Oh Youngjae,”Jinyoung frowned, moving closer to the younger. The medic gently wrapped his arms around Youngjae's shoulders, resting his head on the Prince's back. Youngjae's hands gently rested on Jinyoung’s, he was silent. “We protect each other here,” Kunpimook says as he climbs onto the bed as well. Youngjae sniffled and gives the two in front of him a small smile.

“No one is dying on my watch,” Jaebum says confidently, his hands falling from Youngjae's face. “It's too early to be awake, let’s go to sleep,” Jinyoung says, pulling Youngjae down to the bed. Kunpimook laughed softly, laying down behind Jaebum. “Is the bed big enough?” Youngjae wondered, confused on how everyone was fitting in the bed. 

“My bed is big enough for all of us, some nights we've slept with six in the bed,” Jaebum says with a smile. Youngjae blushed, hiding his face in the pillow. The four had all spaced out in the bed, Youngjae moved towards Jaebum, feeling the older male’s warmth surround him. “Sleep Youngjae,” Jaebum whispered. A smile graced Youngjae's lips as he closes his eyes, the feeling of safety surrounding him.

-x-

 

“I want him at my feet in 24 hours, he has caused too much trouble,” the King growled at the two mercenaries standing before him. Both men are on the shorter side, one having black hair that contrasted with his pale skin. The other male had observant eyes, his brown hair swept over his forehead. “What's the pay again?” the dark haired male asks, his voice deep and emotionless. Seung-Li groaned, rolling his shoulders in frustration. 

“2,000 gold pieces, now get out of my sight before I find someone else for the job,” Seung-Li threatens. The light haired male scoffs, the Ling raised his eyebrow. “What's so funny Park?” he sneered. The light haired male, Park, stepped forward. “You think there are others who will complete the task,” he challenges. Seung-Li doesn't respond, he sits back down in his throne, crossing one leg over the other. 

“Leave,” he orders. The two mercenaries turn without a word and leave the room. “You idiot,” the dark haired male says once they're far enough from the throne room. He hits the back of the others head. “What? Just showing that asshole the amount of respect he deserves,” the light haired male says. 

“Come on, Yoongi, you have to be at least a little resentful towards him,” he adds a moment later, the mood changing. Yoongi looks away. “I hate the guy,” Yoongi says, voice filled with disgust. “I know we're doing this for Taehyung, but we can't help him,” the light haired male says, his voice lowering in volume as they exit the palace, their horses waiting outside. The palace guards hand them the reins and the mercenaries are on their way.

“We won't help him, Jimin. And we’ll bring Tae home,” Yoongi says after mounting the stallion, tugging on the reins. The horses take off through the streets of the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm most likely going to write multiple endings for this story, like a good and bad ending. I'm super excited about what is to come in the next few chapters :)


	10. Ready or Not, Here I Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone cry with me over Youngjae's vocals in My Swagger?
> 
> I'm deceased

“It looks fine, it’s not infected. But try to keep it wrapped up until it scars completely,” Jinyoung suggests as he carefully cleans around the healing wound on Youngjae's neck. The collar, still stuck around his neck, was in the way and dug into the base of his neck where his neck met his shoulders. Jaebum stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, tapping his door against the ground. The healing wound on Youngjae's neck from Seung-Li was mostly healed, the skin covering the wound was tender and the area around the wound still ached. 

Jinyoung gently pushes the collar down to get to the wound, wrapping white bandages around it, making sure it’s secure. “There, be careful now,” Jinyoung said. Youngjae smiled and bowed his head slightly. “Thank you, hyung,” he said before pushing himself off of the bed, walking towards Jaebum. Jaebum smiled at him and moved into the hall, allowing Youngjae to pass him. “Yugyeom wanted me to come with him to show Jungkook and Taehyung the forest, I'm going to see Sage first,” he said, turning his head so Jaebum would be able to hear him.

“Maybe you should stay close to the base, with what happened yesterday…” Jaebum trails off, stopping in the middle of the hallway. Youngjae stops and turns to face him. “I'm trying to get my mind off of that, I thought I could by going out, having fun,” Youngjae explained. He saw Jaebum's internal conflict in his dark eyes. The leader sighed and looked up. “Be careful, stay close to Yugyeom,” Jaebum decides. Youngjae smiles and moves forward to hug Jaebum, his arms wrapping around the other's waist. i 

Jaebum reacts slowly, his arms slowly moving around the back of Youngjae's neck, holding the younger close. “I'm going to check on Sage, thanks hyung!” Youngjae smiles as he leaves the sweet embrace and skips through the doorway and to the barn. He enters the barn and hears Sage’s excited squeak seconds later. Youngjae laughs as he makes his way towards the dragon, obviously excited to see him. Sage lowers her head towards Youngjae. The Prince smiles brightly, stroking Sage’s snout. 

“Sorry I haven't come to see you, I've been pretty occupied,” Youngjae apologized, scratching his head. Sage nuzzled against him, eliciting a giggle from the Prince. He was silent for a moment, gazing up at the magnificent dragon. “Soon, we’ll take back the Kingdom, I promise,” Youngjae says quietly, pressing his forehead against Sage’s. The dragon lets out a snort of agreement. 

“I'll come back soon, Yugyeom’s waiting for me, and he isn't always patient,” Youngjae said with a sigh. Sage nuzzled against Youngjae’s side one more time before he left the barn going to find Yugyeom, Jungkook and Taehyung near the forest. “Hyung! You're finally here,” Yugyeom huffed impatiently. Youngjae rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. “Don't disrespect hyung Yugyeom,” Youngjae warns, raising an eyebrow. Yugyeom only laughs and looks around at the small group assembled. 

Jungkook’s fingers intertwined with Taehyung’s. Youngjae sighed at the sight, he would love to have someone like that, someone who would love him unconditionally. Maybe someday. “Let’s go, there's a lot to see out here,” Yugyeom says, waving the others toward him as he makes his way into the trees. The forest was lovely, paths carved into the ground, green leaves everywhere, birds and small animals populated the ground and sky. Youngjae's eyes moved everywhere, seeing all the sights he could. 

“It's beautiful,” Taehyung says, his eyes filled with wonder and amazement. Yugyeom gave him a confused look. “Do you not have forests in Thonada?” he asked. Taehyung frowned and looked down. Jungkook spoke up for the older, “We did at one point, but the Arians burned them down,” Jungkook said. Youngjae had visited the nation of Aria once with his family for diplomatic purposes. Aria had always been a rebellious nation, ignoring laws from the Seven Nations Council. The Council had been set in place to keep the Seven major Kingdoms in check, but recently, the Council was lacking support for citizens.

Youngjae frowned, he remembered the beautiful island nation of Thonada, the beautiful tropical flowers, the vines crawling up the trunks of trees and up the cobblestone around the walls of the Thonadian Royal Palace. It devastated him knowing the beauty had been destroyed. “That's awful,” Youngjae said sadly. Yugyeom looked sad as well but of course brightened the mood quickly. “Let’s go to the waterfall! Youngjae, you haven't seen it yet,” Yugyeom suggests excitedly. Taehyung began to brighten up, a smile on his face. Yugyeom waved them in the right direction and they were off.

-x-

“It's gorgeous!” Taehyung exclaimed, his eyes wide in awe. The waterfall was a beautiful sight. Blue water cascading down the falls into the small crystal blue lake. Youngjae kicked his shoes off and removed his white flowy shirt. He climbed down the rocks toward the water, it looked so clear. Suddenly he felt a light shove and he fell into the water. When he broke the surface, wiping water from his eyes, he could hear Yugyeom's laughter. He smiled and opened his eyes. Yugyeom was doubled over, laughing. Jungkook held Taehyung close, chuckling at the scene.

“Come in! It's really nice,” Youngjae says, splashing around in the water. Yugyeom finally finished his laughing fit and took his shoes off, quickly taking his shirt off before diving in near Youngjae. “Come on Kook!” Yugyeom yells after breaking the surface. Jungkook sighs and rolls his eyes, removing his shirt and shoes before jumping in. Youngjae laughed as water splashed over him. 

“Okay Tae, your turn,” Youngjae said. Taehyung looked hesitant, his attention drawn to the trees like there was something there. “Tae, hurry up,” Jungkook said, moving his dark hair out of his face. Taehyung peeled his eyes away from the trees and took off his shoes and shirt. Youngjae spotted the scars covering his chest and back. Taehyung seemed insecure, his arms covering his chest. Jungkook paddles towards the rocks where Youngjae had been pushed and held his hand out. Taehyung gingerly took his hand and Jungkook guided him into the water.

A soft sigh left Taehyung's lips as he touched the ground, the water up to his chest. “You're so beautiful Taehyung,” Jungkook says with a smile, wrapping his arms around Taehyung's waist, pulling him close. Youngjae couldn't help but smile as Taehyung began to blush, hiding his face. There was that feeling again. The need for someone to hold him close, tell him he's beautiful. He laid back in the water, keeping his face above the water. Yugyeom was climbing out, his fingers working through his dark hair to attempt to dry it. 

“Yugyeom, where are you going?” Youngjae asked, placing his feet in the sand at the bottom of the shallow lake. “Just taking a look around, go check out the waterfall,” Yugyeom says. Youngjae has a feeling something’s wrong. He nods and waves Jungkook and Taehyung over, the three swimming towards the waterfall, drops of water splashing onto their faces as they get closer. He looks back and noticed that Yugyeom had disappeared from view. He frowned, looking around to try and find wherever he had gone.

He got an answer when he heard a strangled cry from the trees left of the waterfall. Youngjae's eyes widened and he ushered Jungkook and Taehyung near the rocks to stay hidden from whoever, or whatever, was there. Youngjae quickly swam to the rocks, climbing out of the water quickly. His heart was racing as he moved closer to the area where the sound had come from. He peeked around a large boulder and saw nothing. He slowly and cautiously moved forward, wrong choice.

He yelped as he was tackled and held against the ground. Above him was a man with soft features and pale skin, a cloak pulled over his head, a snarl on his lips. His eyes widened as the man's finger looped under the golden collar. “It's him,” the man says, his voice deep. Youngjae begins to panic, Seung-Li sent the man to find him. “N-no, please leave us alone, please,” Youngjae pleads, trying to push the man off of him. The man pushes his hands down above his head. With his other hand, he covers Youngjae's mouth. Youngjae turns his head and sees another man, who's fairly short, holding Yugyeom on his knees, blade pressed against his throat.

The man looks down at Youngjae. “I have a question for you, if you scream when I uncover your mouth, I’ll kill your friend, do you understand?” the man says darkly. Youngjae nods. Slowly, the man uncovers Youngjae's mouth. 

“Now, we're looking for a friend of ours, Kim Taehyung, where is he?” the man snarled. This man knew Taehyung. Yugyeom nodded at him. “He's here, i-if you let me up, I'll show you where he is,” Youngjae said nervously. The man gave him a skeptical look. “It's worth a try, hyung,” the man holding Yugyeom says. The man groans and gets off of Youngjae, letting him stand up. He pulls out a blade, pressing the tip against Youngjae's back, gripping the back of his shirt. 

“Show me,” the man growls. Youngjae nods slowly as he walks, moving around the rocks. “Jungkook, Taehyung, you can come out,” Youngjae yells over the sound of rushing water. There's no movement for a few seconds and Youngjae can feel the blade digging into his back, the feeling uncomfortable. Then Taehyung peeks his head around the rocks at the opposite side of the small lake. “Tae?” The man calls out. Youngjae can see Taehyung's eyes go wide. He rushes over to them, tackling the man holding Youngjae. 

“T-Tae, careful,” The man says, laughing softly. Taehyung's arms wrap around the man and he holds him tightly. The other man appears with Yugyeom, and as soon as he sees Taehyung, he releases Yugyeom, rushing towards Taehyung. “Yoongi, J-Jimin, I thought I'd never see you again,” Taehyung sobs, the light haired male, Jimin, helping the other, Yoongi, sit up. Taehyung looked up and wiped his eyes before wrapping his arms around Jimin.

Jungkook appears at Youngjae's side, a smile on his face. “Who are they?” Youngjae asks quietly. “They're his friends from Thonada. He told me a lot about them after we met in the Navy, I never got to meet them before,” Jungkook explains. Youngjae nods. “Then how'd they get here?” he wondered. Jungkook just shrugged his shoulders. Jimin was helping Taehyung and Yoongi off of the ground, Taehyung wiping tears from his eyes. 

“I'm sorry about the terrible first impression, we were told you were holding Taehyung hostage. So I apologize,” Yoongi says, bowing his head slightly. Youngjae waves him off. “Don't worry, it's fine,” Youngjae responds. Yoongi smiled gratefully, Jimin clapped Taehyung on the back, making the other elbow him in the chest. 

“Seung-Li told us that if we brought you to him, he would give us Taehyung and we could have a better life here in Saeris, but we decided against taking you to him,” Jimin explained, lowering his hood. Youngjae knew Seung-Li was getting desperate, desperate enough to send foreign mercenaries after him. “What about your life in Saeris?” Youngjae asked. Yoongi sighed and shrugged.

“We’ll deal with it ourselves, we don't need some self-centered dictator’s help,” Yoongi scoffed. “Well, we should be heading back to the base now, Yoongi and Jimin can come with us, they must've traveled a long time,” Yugyeom suggests. Jimin gives him a grateful smile which Yugyeom returns. “I'll get the horses, Jimin stay here,” Yoongi says before disappearing into the trees. Youngjae begins to think, Seung-Li was desperate.

What a perfect time to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter wasn't very good, I'm awful at keeping filler chapters interesting. Hopefully next chapter will be better and a bit longer :)


	11. Someday Soon We'll Be Together

Jaebum had been planning an attack on the Kingdom ever since Youngjae and Yugyeom and brought Yoongi and Jimin to the base. The mercenaries were now with Taehyung and Jungkook in the infirmary. Youngjae lay on the couch in the living room, an old blanket over his body. Kunpimook walked in, smiling at him as he sits down in front of the couch, looking at Youngjae. “Why do you look sad hyung?” the younger asked, tilting his head to the side, looking like a confused puppy. 

“I'm just nervous. I don't know how to rule a Kingdom, what if the people don't like me?” Youngjae explained, not looking at Kunpimook. The younger male pulls his knees into his chest and let out a quick sigh. “Hyung, we’ll be with you every step of the way, you'll do just fine!” Kunpimook encourages, a smile lighting up his features. Youngjae can't resist the urge to smile back, Kunpimook’s enthusiasm lifting him up. 

“Thanks,” Youngjae responds, sitting up on the couch, swinging his legs over the side. “Where is everyone?” he wondered, noticing the house was fairly quiet except for the four in the infirmary. “Oh, everyone's planning, we have to act quickly if we want to succeed, want to come check it out?” Kunpimook explains, holding a hand out to Youngjae. The Prince smiles and takes the other’s hand as he stands up, the blanket falling from his lap and onto the floor. He bend down to pick it up, tossing it onto the couch before following Kunpimook to the small room with the table littered with maps.

When they enter the room, Youngjae can sense the seriousness from everyone. Everyone is silent, observing, calculating. Mark notices them first and waves them over towards him and Jinyoung. Youngjae stands at Mark’s side, his eyes finding the map in front of Mark. It was a map of the inner ring of the city. He looked up and gazed at the others in the room. Jaebum had both hands on the table, his finger gently tapping against the wood. Jackson stood beside Jinyoung, the two conversing quietly. Even Yugyeom was quiet, his curious eyes looked over a map of the palace grounds.

Jaebum looks up and rubs his eyes. He turns his head and smiles when he sees Youngjae. The Prince returns his smile and walks to his side. “Got anything else?” he wondered. Jaebum let out a frustrated sigh and shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know,” he admitted. “All we really need is a good place to get into the city, we’ll be okay from there. We just have to try not to destroy everything,” Youngjae says. Jaebum nods his head and stays silent for another moment. 

“I have a finalized plan.”

-x-

“We’ll go in two groups, Jackson, Yugyeom, Jinyoung and Kunpimook in the first, and me, Youngjae and Mark in the second,” Jaebum begins. “We go in at the same time in two different spots with the dragons, scare the people, we don't want any unnecessary casualties,” he continues, pointing the the dark X on the map of the Kingdom. Everyone is watching, listening. “We’ll draw Seung-Li out with Youngjae then we’ll kill him,” Jaebum finishes. 

The plan wasn't complicated, their goal was simple. And since the Saerin army hadn't been trained to deal with dragons, they would panic. 

“When do we leave?” Jackson asked, standing confidently. Jaebum smiled at his friend, a mischievous look in his dark eyes.

“Tomorrow morning,” Jaebum decides. Youngjae can feel everyone's mood lift. They're finally going to take back the Kingdom, they can be free again. 

-x-

Yugyeom and Kunpimook were on a walk, Jinyoung, Jackson and Mark were tending to the dragons, Taehyung, Jungkook, Yoongi and Jimin were preparing to leave. They had agreed that after Youngjae took control of the Kingdom that he would send them back to Thonada. That left Jaebum and Youngjae. The Prince had somehow found himself in Jaebum's room, sitting on the bed. The window was opened, cool summer air blowing into the stuffy room. Jaebum was in the bathroom, he had just finished showering and was getting dressed.

Youngjae's fingers were tangled in the thin off white blanket that stretched across the whole bed. The loose shirt he wore, that was Jackson’s hung off one shoulder, exposing his skin that had become fairly tan after actually being outside. The once dark, angry markings covering his neck and collarbones had lightened up and were almost unnoticeable. When the bathroom door opened, Youngjae's eyes locked onto Jaebum. 

The older male was only wearing loose black pants, his upper half exposed. Youngjae felt heat rise to his cheeks as he felt himself staring. He looked away and blushed harder when he heard Jaebum laugh. He felt the bed dip as Jaebum sat down. “Youngjae, can you look at me?” Jaebum asked, his voice soft. Youngjae bit his lip and looked up, his eyes meeting Jaebum's instantly. He felt something in his stomach, a strange feeling he'd felt a few times previous to this moment. 

Did he love Jaebum? Did he love the other Dragon Riders that had done nothing but care for him? He did, he loved all of them. He noticed that Jaebum had moved closer, their foreheads were touching. Jaebum's mouth was open slightly, Youngjae could feel the short breaths on his cheek. “H-hyung,” Youngjae breathes out. Jaebum responds by placing a hand on Youngjae's back, helping him lay down on the bed. 

“Hyung, what are you doing?” Youngjae asked, biting his lip gently. Jaebum looks down at him with a smile. 

“Something I've wanted to do for a while,” Jaebum whispers as he leans down towards Youngjae. Youngjae doesn't try to move away as Jaebum softly presses his lips to Youngjae's. Youngjae stays still, not reacting for a fraction of a second. Then he relaxes, closing his eyes and moving his lips against Jaebum's. He feels like he's sinking in the bed, it feels like he's laying on air. After a few more seconds, Jaebum pulls away, slowly opening his eyes. Youngjae licks his lips and reaches his arms up to latch around Jaebum's neck.

“Kiss me again,” he says, his voice expressing the need he felt. Jaebum bit his lip before quickly leaning down again, capturing Youngjae's awaiting lips in a kiss. This time, the kiss was more intense, more desperate, passionate. Youngjae's arms were latched around Jaebum's neck, his fingers playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. When Jaebum finally pulled away, his lips were swollen and he was breathing heavily. 

“Fuck, Youngjae. You're beautiful,” Jaebum groaned. “I just wish I could've saved you, I wish I was more aware, I wish I had noticed when you were taken, I'm sorry,” he says, looking away, gritting his teeth. Youngjae lets out a soft sigh and moves one hand to press against Jaebum's cheek to move his head back to look down at him. 

“You did save me,” Youngjae said, his voice was gentle, soothing, like a mother comforting a crying child. Jaebum shook his head and sat up, taking Youngjae with him. The older male brushed the blonde locks away from Youngjae's flushed face. 

“Not soon enough,” he said regretfully. Youngjae frowned. He hadn't been late, if he would have gone back with the group, it would've taken longer for Youngjae to be rescued, more people using him, making a mess out of him. He shivered at the thought. Jaebum noticed and gave him a concerned look.

“I would've been stuck there longer if you would have gone back to the base with the others, you saved me as soon as you possibly could, and I'm fine with that,” Youngjae explains, gently pressing his palms against Jaebum's cheek. The older evaded Youngjae's gaze by looking down. “I'm serious,” he adds after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Youngjae,” Jaebum says quietly, Youngjae almost didn't hear him. Youngjae tilts the other's head up.

“What?” he wondered. He noticed Jaebum was hesitating, but why? Jaebum opened his mouth slowly and looked away biting his lip. “Come on, spit it out,” Youngjae huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“I think I'm in love with you,” Jaebum suddenly blurts out. Youngjae is frozen, did Jaebum really say that? He kind of expected it (after making out just minutes ago) but now that it was happening, it seemed like a dream. 

“J-Jaebum,” Youngjae breathes out, unsure of what to say. His arms find their way back around Jaebum's neck and he pulls himself close to the other male, hugging him tightly. 

“I think I love you too,” he whispers. He can feel Jaebum's calloused hands sliding across his back to hug him back. Youngjae feels safe, warm, comforted. It's like Jaebum's arms were made for him. And his body was made for Jaebum. Sparks are flying, Youngjae has never experienced this kind of happiness. It feels amazing. 

This is what love feels like.

-x-

The sun was setting, Jinyoung and Mark were cleaning up the kitchen, Yugyeom and Kunpimook were getting Yoongi and Jimin settled into the infirmary for the night and everyone else was getting ready for bed. Jaebum had decided that everyone was sleeping in his bed tonight. Youngjae loved that idea. These were the people who had saved his life, they had rescued him from captivity, risking their lives to save his. 

He hadn't known them for years, but already they were so close. They were a family. 

Jaebum had given Youngjae pajamas to wear for the night, now the two sat on the bed in Jaebum's room, waiting for everyone else to join them. Youngjae was seated in Jaebum's lap, his head resting on the other’s shoulder, arms limp at his sides. Jaebum's hands traced patterns up and down Youngjae's back, calming him. Jaebum's eye lock on the doorway when he hears soft laughing and footsteps approaching. He smiles when Yugyeom and Kunpimook enter the room.

Youngjae lifts his head, turning to the two younger males. Kunpimook crawls onto the bed, laying down beside Jaebum and Youngjae. Yugyeom isn't far behind, getting on the bed and laying down on top of Kunpimook. The older of the two groans as Yugyeom puts all his weight on top of him. “Hey! Get up you pig,” Kunpimook yelps, slapping Yugyeom’s arms wildly. Yugyeom laughs, rolling off of Kunpimook. Youngjae giggles, hiding his face in Jaebum's shoulder. 

“Where is everyone else?” Jaebum wondered, his hands traveling up Youngjae's sides. 

“Not sure, they should be here soon,” Yugyeom said, shrugging his shoulders. Seconds later, Jaebum smiled when he hears the last three talking down the hallway. 

“What took you so long?” Jaebum jokes when he three finally enter the room. Jinyoung rolls his eyes, running his fingers through his dark, messy hair. 

“The dragons were being a pain, they can tell something's going to happen,” Jackson said, his lips turned down in a small frown. Youngjae shivered when Jaebum breathed out, the breath tickling Youngjae's ear.

“Everything will be fine, let’s get some rest,” Jaebum said. The three climb into the bed, laughing as they climb on top of each other. Youngjae looks over at them. Mark moves towards him, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Youngjae, can we talk to you?” Jaebum wonders. Youngjae hums, the others soft voice is comforting. He nods his head and slides off of Jaebum's lap to face the others now laying on the large bed.

“We want to talk about the relationship between all of us,” Mark said. Youngjae nods, showing he's listening. He had seen how everyone acted around each other, it wasn't abnormal bond between friends, it was much more. They all loved each other. 

“Our relationship is, well, it can be complicated for some people,” Jaebum begins. Youngjae places his hands in his lap as he listens. “We all love each other, like, romantically, no one is left out, and we want you to be with us,” he adds moments later. Youngjae can feel the smile tugging at his lips. He hadn't felt this sort of affection, people wanting him, in over a year. He had been despised by people for a year, he was told how much people hated him. Seung-Li always told him that the people wanted him dead, they wanted him executed, but Seung-Li wanted him as a trophy, that's the only reason he was alive. And Youngjae had believed him. 

He would die a prisoner, a Prince of outcasts. 

But now, he was free, he was cared for, he was loved. These people surrounding him with love had given him life, they saved him from a lifetime of captivity and humiliation. He had every reason to love them back. 

“Of course I’ll be with you all,” Youngjae said happily, his eyes starting to tear up. He was overjoyed. Yugyeom and Kunpimook hurled their bodies towards Youngjae, tackling him, hugging him tightly. Youngjae couldn't stop the loud laugh that escaped him as he fell back onto the bed. 

“Careful with him! It's late, we should sleep,” Jinyoung says as he pulls the blanket back. Mark gets under the blanket beside Jinyoung, Jackson getting in beside Mark. 

“Come on, Jae,” Jaebum says as  
he helps Youngjae up, letting him get under the blanket in between him and Jackson. Youngjae gets comfortable on his back, feeling the warmth of the blanket, and the two on either side of him.

Soon everyone was quiet, everyone was slowly drifting to sleep. Tomorrow would be the day. The day the Kingdom would be saved from Seung-Li’s tyrannical rule. 

Youngjae would save them.

He would save them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I STG THE DRAGONS ARE  
> COMING BACK NEXT CHAPTER, IT'S GOING TO BE EPIC


	12. As I Enter The City Of The Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjae and the Dragon Riders prepare to take the Kingdom back. 
> 
> Will they succeed? 
> 
> Or will the tyrannical King sustain his place as ruler of Saeris?

Morning came quick after Youngjae finally fell asleep in between Jackson and Jaebum. He groaned in protest when he felt the bed shifting underneath him from somebody moving to get up. Youngjae slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to get used to the brightness in the room, the sun is just rising, the warm rays peeking through the window. He notices Jackson is holding him close, his arm wrapped around his waist. Youngjae smiles, trying not to move too much so he won't wake the older male. Jaebum was in front of him, his mouth opened slightly, soft breaths passing his lips, his hair is messy, falling in front of his eyes. 

On the other side of Jaebum, Kunpimook is sitting up, his fingers ruffling the messy white hair on his head. Youngjae laughs softly, causing the younger to look over him and pout. Youngjae blows him a kiss and smiles as the other rolls his eyes and gets off the bed, walking out of the room. Youngjae lets out a soft sigh and his mouth waters at the smell of breakfast being cooked downstairs. His hands rest against Jackson's as he intertwines their fingers, gently shaking the others arms to wake him. 

Today is a very important day. As soon as they can, the Dragon Riders will embark on a mission, a mission to take back the Kingdom. Jackson groaned, arms tightening around Youngjae's waist as he begins to wake. Jaebum begins to stir, his shoulders rising next to his ears, his muscles tensing. “Wake up hyung,” Youngjae says quietly, playing with Jackson's hands. Jaebum opens his eyes, smiling lovingly at Youngjae. 

“Come on, get up, we have to get ready,” Youngjae says calmly, slowly urging the two others to get up. Youngjae pushes Jackson’s arms away and gets up, causing the two still in bed to pout. “I'm not coming back, let’s go,” Youngjae says as he walks out the door. When he arrives in the kitchen, Jinyoung and Mark and speaking in hushed tones while Yugyeom and Kunpimook sit in the living room, Kunpimook’s head in Yugyeom’s lap. 

“Good morning Youngjae,” Mark says, a smile lighting up his features. Youngjae smiles in response. He can feel everyone's anxiety. Everyone was nervous, nervous for the attack. Youngjae sits down at the table, running his fingers through his messy blonde hair. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Jinyoung and Mark share a quick kiss, but their lips linger for a moment before they completely pull away from each other. 

Jinyoung sets a plate in front of Youngjae, eggs, meat and strawberries. “Yugyeom, Kunpimook, breakfast is ready, hurry up, we have to leave soon,” Jinyoung says. It almost sounded like a mother calling for her children to get ready for school. But it was much more serious than that. In the near future, they faced pure evil, a man who killed because he wasn't born ‘special’.

Before Seung-Li became King, people used to say Dragon Riders were special. Not everyone could be a Dragon Rider, dragons chose a companion between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. The oldest companion ever chosen was twenty, and the youngest, fourteen, but most were fifteen when they were chosen. Seung-Li was envious of the Dragon Riders. But how could a man who could summon magic with the snap of a finger be envious of anyone? Nobody knows. 

All Youngjae did know, was he would fight for the freedom of his people, the Dragon Riders.

-x-

The sun is risen when everyone is finally ready to go. Everyone is dressed, bodies adorned with armor and weapons. Around Youngjae’s neck is the golden collar that he still wears proudly. The armor is uncomfortable but he doesn't pay much attention to it. Sage is beside him, her claws digging into the dirt, her bright blue eyes are observant. Youngjae pats her side, looking up at her with a smile. She turns her head down and cocks her head to the side.

“We're going home,” Youngjae says. Sage makes an excited noise, rearing up. Youngjae laughs as the ground around them shakes when she lands. “I'm excited too,” he says happily. Suddenly, Jaebum was at his side, his armor glistening in the morning sunlight.

“Are you ready?” Jaebum asks, adjusting the straps on the chestplate. Youngjae smiles as he pushes Jaebum's hands away to help him. 

“I've never been more ready,” he responds, letting his arms drop to his sides. Jaebum cups Youngjae's face with his hands, kissing him. Youngjae melts into the kiss, smiling against Jaebum's lips. When Jaebum pulls away, he gives the younger a worried look. 

“Please stay safe Youngjae, Ill try to stay closeby, but…” Jaebum says, trailing off, his eyes locked on the ground. Youngjae frowns, tilting Jaebum's head up with a finger under his chin.

“I'll be fine, don't worry. You need to be focused,” Youngjae accuses. Jaebum pouts, sticking out his bottom lip. Youngjae just rolls his eyes.

“Youngjae!” a voice yells. Youngjae turns his head to see Taehyung running out to him. Youngjae yelps as Taehyung hugs him, the force causing Youngjae to have to take a few steps backwards. Taehyung's arms are wrapped tightly around him. Youngjae hugs him back, gripping the back of Taehyung's shirt.

“I'll be back, we’re going to get you home,” Youngjae whispers. Taehyung's body shakes, just the slightest, but Youngjae notices. When he pulls back, he sees that Taehyung is crying. “Don't cry,” Youngjae coos, wiping the tears away. 

“Thank you so much,” Taehyung says softly. Youngjae hugs him once again before Jaebum taps him on the shoulder, a signal that they're leaving. Youngjae climbs onto Sage’s back. On the porch of the house he can see Yoongi, Jimin, and Jungkook. Taehyung runs back towards the house. The dragons let out mighty roars as their powerful wings push them into the air. Around him, Yugyeom lets out a war cry, Fenrir following close behind. Jaebum takes the lead atop of Algor. 

And then they're off, on their way to the Kingdom, to regain their freedom. Youngjae can feel a change in the air, the anxiety is long gone, what remains is excitement, confidence. He smiles, patting Sage’s neck. What a sight they were, seven dragons, beasts that hadn't been seen in a year, were on their way to the place that had exiled them.

In the distance, Youngjae spots the palace, the place he had spent his entire life inside. He takes a deep breath, willing himself to forget his own anxiety. “We split now!” Jaebum yells loud enough so everyone can hear him. Sage roars as she, Snowdrop and Algor move to the left, forming a tight cluster in the sky (as tight as their wings would allow them). Fenrir, Sobek, Amarok and Apophet flew towards the right.

It's almost time.

Youngjae clenches his hands into fists as they get closer and closer to the Kingdom. He looks down as they descend and he can see people rushing out of their homes, pointing up at the sky. Ahead, atop of the wall separating the inner city from the outer city, archers scramble to their posts. Mark responds by grabbing his bow, pulling an arrow from his quiver. Jinyoung flies Apophet forward, the dragon letting out a growl as a visible force field surrounds the dragons.

The archers look absolutely terrified, unsure of what to do. The dragons fly over the wall, leaving the archers behind and descend further until they land on the wide road that led to the palace entrance. Youngjae looks around as people cower in their houses, some watching from the sidewalks. Sage holds her head high, letting out a loud roar. Now they wait for Seung-Li. A crowd begins to form in front of the dragons, Youngjae also notices soldiers rushing towards the scene. Mark keeps his bow ready.

The soldier, who Youngjae assumes is the general, steps forward, he looks up at Youngjae, eyes narrowing. “Why are you here, scum,” the general sneers, hand resting on his sword. Youngjae raises an eyebrow.

“Bring Seung-Li out, I want to speak with him,” Youngjae demands. The people in the crowd begin to whisper nervously to each other, the general laughs. 

“The King was expecting you, come with me, only you,” the general says. Jaebum immediately speaks up.

“He's not going anywhere without me,” the older growls, sliding down from Algor’s back, the dragon taking a defensive stance beside Jaebum. The general turns back to look at the palace and sighs. 

“Fine, but the rest stay here,” the general decides. Youngjae slides off of Sage’s back, giving her a reassuring pat to the side as he walks toward Jaebum's and then towards the general. The forcefield surrounding them flickers for a moment, allowing Jaebum and Youngjae out before the bubble appears again. Mark's eyes narrow in confusion before widening quickly.

“Youngjae come back!” He screams. But it's too late, a force field appears, separating the two from the rest of the group. A hooded figure appears from the alley. The figure removes the hood to reveal Seung-Li. Youngjae grits his teeth.

“Thank you Hoseok, welcome home Youngjae,” the King smirks. Jaebum steps in front of Youngjae, drawing his sword defensively. 

“Jaebum!” Jinyoung yells, voice full of worry. Jaebum takes a quick glance behind them before focusing on Seung-Li and Hoseok. The general has his own sword drawn. The two state each other down, almost like they're conversing only using their eyes. Then Jaebum lunges forward, engaging in a battle with the swift moving general. His slender but muscular body allows him to block and dodge Jaebum’s powerful blows. Youngjae is frozen in place, he can't move. 

He doesn't move until he spots something moving out of the corner of his eye. Youngjae springs into action, pulling his sword out of its sheath just in time to block a strike from the soldier trying to sneak up on him. Now he's only focused on the soldier in front of him, he's only focused on winning the small battle before helping Jaebum. He swings his blade at the soldier, cutting the skin of his arm, making him pull away. Then Youngjae's name is called. 

“Youngjae!” Seung-Li’s voice is deafening. Everything goes silent and Youngjae slowly turns his head. He grits his teeth, slowly lowering his sword. Hoseok holds Jaebum's head up by his hair, another soldier is in the middle of binding his wrists. “Surrender and he will be unharmed,” Seung-Li threatens. Youngjae grips the hilt of his sword. He wants to fight back, but Hoseok has his blade pressed against Jaebum’s throat. It would be so easy for him to slide the blade across the fragile skin and let Jaebum drown in his own blood.

Youngjae drops his sword. Algor rams his body against the force field, but it doesn't falter. The dragon roars angrily, stomping his feet against the ground. “Good, now come with me,” Seung-Li demands.

-x-

“Get your hands off of me,” Jaebum snarls, struggling against Hoseok as they enter the palace. Hoseok only tightens his grip on Jaebum as he stops, turning to Seung-Li.

“Take them to the dungeon, keep them separated,” Seung-Li decides, his voice cold. Hoseok nods, pulling his blade out and pressing it to Jaebum’s throat once more. Youngjae grits his teeth and follows Hoseok down to the dungeon. His breathing is shaky as he enters the dark hall, cells lining the walls. His body trembles, remembering the year he spent in his prison with Sage. He couldn't do it again.

Hoseok lets go of Jaebum for a moment. as he unlocks a cell. Youngjae moves moments later, wrapping his arms around Jaebum's neck. He grips the back of the others neck, his knuckles scraping against the armor. Jaebum presses his forehead against Youngjae's shoulder. “We’ll get out of here Jae, don't worry,” Jaebum whispers. A moment later, Hoseok grabs Youngjae by the back of the collar, pulling him away from Jaebum and into the cell while Jaebum stands in the hall, unable to do anything. Youngjae grits his teeth, the force of Hoseok pulling him back choking him. Hoseok stops, attaching the chain to the collar like a dog leash. Youngjae glares at the general.

Hoseok continues by closing and locking a shackle around Youngjae's ankle. The Prince decides to sit down, it's not like he’ll be able to move around much anyways. Hoseok walks out of the cell, closing the door behind him, the door locks immediately. The general then pulls Jaebum into the cell across from Youngjae's, whispering in the others ear as he unties the bonds around his wrists. Jaebum grits his teeth as his wrists are freed, but not for long. He forces Jaebum to sit against the wall and shackles his wrists. His arms are raised above his head, limiting his movements.

“His Majesty will be down to speak with you soon, I must go deal with the rest of you savages,” Hoseok growled. Youngjae glared at the general as he walked down the hall, leaving Jaebum and Youngjae alone. Youngjae crawled forward as much as he could, the chain attached to the collar not helping him in his quest to get closer to Jaebum.

“H-hyung,” Youngjae says, his voice cracking in fear. Jaebum looked up immediately, hearing how broken Youngjae sounded. “Hyung, I can't do this,” Youngjae said, his hands trembling, breathing getting quicker and uneven. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Tears welled up in his eyes as he curled up into a ball, a shaking, crying mess. 

“Youngjae! Hey, you have to breathe, you're having a panic attack, you have to settle down,” Jaebum calls out. Youngjae’s eyes are wide, he can't breathe, he can't breathe. “Youngjae, listen to me! You need to take deep breaths, it will help you,” Jaebum instructs, the chains rattling as he tried to move as close as he can to the bars of his own cell. Youngjae can hear Jaebum's voice. It anchors him to this world. He listens. Willing his breathing to slow to deep breaths, which takes a while. Jaebum encourages him the whole way. “Good, Jae. Just like that,” the older says, finally relaxing. Youngjae sits up, wiping tears from his eyes. His hands still tremble as he smooths his hair down, but he feels better.

“Th-thank you, hyung,” Youngjae sniffles. Jaebum smiles at him, a sad, longing smile. 

“Anytime,” he responds. The two stare at each other through the bars of the cells in silence until something breaks that silence. The door to the dungeon creaks open and heavy footsteps and the sound of something being dragged fills the room. 

“Oh, Youngjae,” Seung-Li singsongs. Youngjae shivers at the sound of the man's sinister voice. “I'm afraid I have some bad news,” the King sighs, appearing in front of Youngjae's cell. When he spots what's being dragged, he feels like his heart is being ripped from his body. A heart wrenching scream is torn from his body as the tears flow down his cheeks. 

“You son of a bitch!” Jaebum yells angrily, fighting against the chains holding him back. Youngjae continues to scream and cry, banging his fists against the ground, the impact tearing the skin of his knuckles and breaking his fingernails. 

“I'll leave this here for you. It's a reminder. If you step out of line again, this will happen to your pretty little boyfriends,” Seung-Li threatens before walking away without a care. Jaebum stays silent as Youngjae cries, his throat burning from screaming. Finally the sounds of his sobs die down. He looks up, a deadly look in his eyes. 

“I'm going to tear him apart,” Youngjae snarls. The voice that comes out of his mouth is so sinister, it surprises Jaebum. But he knows the reason behind it. 

Lying outside of Youngjae’s cell, is the mangled body of the Queen.

Youngjae's mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OT7 in the last few chapters gives me life, just saying.
> 
> AND HEY THE DRAGONS ARE BACK. Get ready for some action very soon, I can't wait you all to read the next chapter!
> 
> I also am writing a Taekook story which already has two chapters, I try to write at least 2000 words for each chapter for both stories so I'm sorry if updates take a while, I try to get chapters up when I can!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Comment if you want to see more and what you think will happen!


	13. I Touch The Fire Might Get Burned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://war-dragons.wikia.com/wiki/Abraxxas?file=Abraxxas1.jpg
> 
> a new dragon!

Outside the castle, on the other side of the force field, the other Dragon Riders waited. Algor rammed his strong body into the forcefield, Sage not far behind, clawing against the invincible shield. Kunpimook frowned, looking away from the desperate dragons. He hated how he couldn't do anything to help them or Jaebum and Youngjae who were now at Seung-Li’s mercy inside the castle. They could already be dead, but Kunpimook didn't want to believe that. They were alive, they would stay alive until they were rescued. 

“Seung-Li! Come out you coward!” Jinyoung screams out, his voice cracking from going hoarse. Jinyoung had been screaming for the past ten minutes, but he never got a response. Mark gave the other a worried look, but he didn't stop him. Everyone was on edge, their leader and the Prince they only wanted to keep out of the hands of the King had been taken from them. Jackson sat atop of Amarok, trying his best to stay calm. Yugyeom had flown Fenrir above the castle and the force field, checking for any weak points. 

Kunpimook spots a figure walking towards the crowd of people still watching from inside the forcefield. The figure walks from the palace, a sword in hand. “What have you done with them?” Jinyoung yells, Apophet moves forward, lips pulled back in a snarl. Hoseok smirked, wiping blood from his blade. Kunpimook’s eyes widened, whose blood was on the general’s blade. 

“Oh don't worry, they're just fine. But I will kill them if you don't cooperate,” Hoseok threatens. Jinyoung was about to fire back, but Mark stopped him. 

“You need them alive, you wouldn't kill them,” Mark says calmly, sliding down from Snowdrop’s back, walking closer to the forcefield. Hoseok tenses, Mark was right. The general’s expression turns cold again to hide the truth. 

“I will kill them, now surrender to his Majesty of Saeris,” Hoseok demands. His soldiers back him up. 

“The King of Saeris is locked up, release him and we will give him his place on the throne,” Jackson says. Hoseok shakes his head with a sigh. 

“I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice,” Hoseok sighs. What does he mean? Kunpimook notices the sky above growing dark at an alarming rate. Dark shadow like clouds covered the once blue sky. The clouds weren't normal. 

“Abraxxas! Come to me!” The general screams. Kunpimook's eyes follow Hoseok’s gaze to the sky. The dark mysterious clouds open up and hell meets Earth. A large dragon appears from the clouds, its body is dark, what looks like molten lava runs across its muscular body. The wings are dark red and horns poke out of the bone. Large swirled horns adorn his head.

“Sobek up!” Kunpimook yells. His dragon listens, pushing off of the ground and into the air.

“What the hell is that?” Jackson yells over the now blowing wind. Yugyeom and Fenrir appear from over the forcefield. Algor and Sage take their attention away from the forcefield and now look like they'll be taking their anger out on the dragon flying towards them. “What are you?” He then yells at Hoseok. The general opens his eyes, glaring up at Jackson.

“I'm a Dragon Mage,” Hoseok announces, a crazy grin on his face. Jackson curses under his breath.

“We can't deal with this now, we have to get Youngjae and Jaebum!” Jinyoung yelps. Sobek flies up above the others, Algor and Sage joining him. The only dragons that matched Abraxxas in size were Algor and Sage, the only ones who matched the dragon in strength would most likely be Algor, Amarok and Fenrir. Kunpimook grits his teeth, they don't have their leader, what do they do?

“Yugyeom, Jackson stay here with Sage and Algor, Amarok and Fenrir can help them deal with Abraxxas, Jinyoung, Kunpimook and I will get through the forcefield and find Youngjae and Jaebum,” Mark yells, taking charge. Snowdrop is in the air moments later. Everyone reacts quickly as Abraxxas closes in on them. Kunpimook, Sobek, Apophet and Jinyoung follow Mark and Snowdrop away from the battle. When Kunpimook looks behind him, Algor shoots forward, the horns jutting from his jaw scratching down Abraxxas’s face. 

It's an astonishing sight. Thunder rumbles as the two dragons clash, Sage closing in from the side, knocking Abraxxas away from Algor. Kunpimook continues to watch, Sobek leading him in the correct direction. Fenrir is in the air as Abraxxas’s strong tail knocks Sage down. Kunpimook strains his eyes to see Yugyeom on Fenrir’s back, helping the dragon maneuver around the giant dragon. Lighting flashes nearby, lighting up the darkening sky. 

“Kunpimook, come on,” Jinyoung exclaims, forcing the younger to take his attention away from the fight behind them. The dragons are over the force field, what can they do to find a weak spot? Kunpimook thinks, his eyes narrowed in concentration and frustration. Then it hits him.

“We have to create a weak point,” he yells to the other two. Mark's face lights up. 

“That's perfect,” the older male exclaims. “Now how will we do that?” he wonders. Kunpimook begins to think again. When Sage and Algor tried running into the force field, it did nothing. So using force was out of the picture. The force field was created with magic, could it be reversed by magic? Doesn't hurt to try.

“Apophet can try to reverse the spell, take the force field down,” Kunpimook suggests. He looks over at Jinyoung, who is now talking calmly to Apophet. The dragon closes his eyes, his body shuddering. The dragon's body begins to glow, at first it's a dull glow, but when Apophet opens his eyes the glow is blinding. There's a loud cracking sound, it sounds like shattering glass. Kunpimook hides his face from the blinding light emitting from Apophet’s body. When the light fades, Kunpimook experimentally opens his eyes. The light is gone and the force field that once surrounded the castle was gone. 

“Jinyoung!” Mark yells, voice filled with fear. Kunpimook looks around frantically, noticing Apophet was no longer flying beside Sobek. His eyes turn to the ground and he sees Apophet and Jinyoung falling to the ground. Sobek, without order, dives down towards the falling dragon. Kunpimook holds on tight as they get closer to Apophet, the ground is approaching too quickly. Sobek stretches his neck, digging his strong teeth into Apophet’s rear, slowing down so they won't crash into the ground.

When Sobek grabs hold of Apophet, the unconscious dragon’s body falls forward and Jinyoung tumbles off of his back and to the ground, luckily only about fifteen feet down. Sobek slowly lowers Apophet to the ground and Kunpimook quickly slides off of the dragons back, rushing towards Jinyoung. He falls to his knees, gently holding Jinyoung’s head off of the ground, checking for a pulse. His eyes widen when he doesn't feel one at first, but then Jinyoung is sitting up, coughing and groaning in pain. Snowdrop lands near Sobek and Apophet, Mark rushing towards Kunpimook and Jinyoung.

“Jinyoung! Are you okay?” Mark asked nervously, his hands cupping the other’s face. Jinyoung groans, swatting Mark’s hands away. 

“I'm fine, just feel like a got hit by a horse,” Jinyoung says. rubbing his eyes. Kunpimook lets out a relieved sigh.

“Thank god hyung. You scared us,” Kunpimook says, wrapping his arms around Jinyoung's waist, head resting on his shoulder. Jinyoung smiles, ruffling the younger’s hair. Kunpimook raises his head when he begins to hear a soft whistling noise. What is that? Jinyoung lurches to the side, hissing in pain. He hears Mark let out a surprised yelp.

“Surrender to the Kingdom of Saeris or you will all die,” the guards standing at the gate of the palace. There were archers stationed on the wall, bows aimed down at the three. Kunpimook then realized Jinyoung had been shot, an arrow stuck out of his arm. Snowdrop roars, moving in front of the three. Sobek stays next to Apophet, ready to jump into action if needed. 

“We have to get into the palace,” Kunpimook hissed, he held Jinyoung in his arms. A loud boom caught Kunpimook's attention, he turned his head towards the battle a few hundred feet away and saw the dragon Abraxxas swatting Amarok aside with his tail before charging towards the three. 

“Shit,” Jinyoung growled. Kunpimook could hear the pain in his voice. Sobek leapt forward, rearing up on his hind legs, claws swiping at Abraxxas. The enemy dragon is cut across the face, that only makes him angrier. The powerful dragon throws Sobek aside, the smaller dragon hardly able to stand his ground, and slowly closes in on the three vulnerable Dragon Riders. Snowdrop whirls around, spreading her ice-like wings. The ground shakes as Abraxxas stomps his large feet. Snowdrop lifts off into the air, moving on top of Abraxxas, lowering her body so the sharp claws on her legs rake down the other dragon’s back. 

Abraxxas roars in pain and rears up on his hind legs, claws outstretched, scratching down Snowdrop’s legs. But the dragon doesn't stop fighting yet. She lets out a high pitched screech, a mist pouring from her mouth, forming sharp icicles around her. Mark grabs Kunpimook, dragging him to his feet before grabbing the back of Jinyoung's shirt and pulling him away. Sobek has limped towards Apophet, the sorcerer dragon finally conscious. Kunpimook looks back to see the icicles Snowdrop manifested shooting down at Abraxxas, piercing his molten skin. 

The archers from the top of the wall around the palace had disappeared, the soldiers who had been guarding the gate were rushing towards them.“We have to get into the palace, but we have to help Jinyoung,” Kunpimook exclaims, his voice shaky. Mark nods understandingly and looks around, what can they do?

“Jinyoung, can we take it out? We can use whatever we find as a makeshift bandage and find something inside the palace for better bandaging,” Mark suggests. Jinyoung frowns looking down at the arrow protruding from his shoulder.

“Guys, we have company,” Kunpimook growls, standing up as the soldiers get closer. He pulls his sword from its sheath, holding it out in front of him. The soldier closest to him lets out a war cry, swinging his sword recklessly. Kunpimook reflects the blow easily and swiftly jabs his blade at the soldier's side, trying to find a chink in his armor. Mark stayed at Jinyoung's side, trying to find the best way to get the arrow out of his arm. Kunpimook has to stay focused on the soldier in front of him, but also the soldier lagging behind, now closing in on them. 

He kicks his leg out into the soldier's chest, sending him flying back into the other soldier. Kunpimook uses this time to catch his breath and turn to assess the situation with the battling dragons. It's not good. Abraxxas is too strong, Snowdrop lays on the ground, blood seeping from multiple wounds on her body. Abraxxas and Kunpimook lock eyes and the Dragon Rider feels a sudden fear fill his body. His breathing quickens as he stumbles away from the dragon, dark eyes locked on the dragon’s burning red ones. 

He stops when he hits something behind him. He feels cold metal pressed against his neck and he cursed under his breath. “Surrender,” the soldier sneers, pressing the blade to Kunpimook's neck. He can't move without the blade cutting into his fragile skin. Abraxxas stalks forward, towering over Mark and Jinyoung. “I'll say it one more time,” the soldier says into Kunpimook's ear, “surrender.”

“H-hyung,” Jinyoung whispers, looking up at Mark as the second soldier walks towards them, holding his sword out, the flat part pressing against the bottom of Mark's chin. The oldest of the three had a defiant look in his eyes, he didn't want to back down. Blood drops from small cuts in Mark's neck from the blade, but he stays resilient.

“Hyung, stop,” Kunpimook says, grimacing as the blade against his neck cuts into his skin. Mark's eyes find Kunpimook's desperate gaze and he slowly raises his arms in surrender. The soldier quickly grabs Mark by his wrists, dragging him away from Jinyoung. Mark's wrists get pinned behind his back where the soldier places metal shackles around his wrists. Kunpimook stands still as his arms are forced behind his back. Jinyoung lays on the ground, the arrow out of his arm, blood pouring from the wound.

How are they going to save Youngjae and Jaebum now?

-x-

Youngjae screamed until his throat burned. Tears streaked down his face, staining his cheeks. Jaebum watched him from his cell, a worried look on his face. But there wasn't anything he could do. It wouldn't be okay. The only person who had really cared for him after his father passed away was his mother, his dear mother. Now she was dead. He could barely lay his eyes on her body. There were gashes running up her arms and legs, her clothes were torn. Blood stained her once beautiful body.

What had happened to her? Youngjae lay on the cold floor of his cell, his small vulnerable body trembling. His mother was dead. Gone. He would never tell her he loved her again. She wouldn't be there for him to take the Kingdom back. She wouldn't see it return to its former glory. Youngjae hated Seung-Li, not like he didn't before. Now he wanted to watch the King die in the most painful ways. He felt the rage building inside him. Finally Jaebum spoke from across the hall in his own cell. 

“Y-Youngjae, baby. I'm sorry,” Jaebum says quietly, but loud enough for  
Youngjae to hear him. Youngjae looks up hesitantly, trying not to look at his mother's body. Jaebum stares back at him, his eyes sad.

“W-we have to get out,” Youngjae responds, rubbing his eyes. He shakily stands up, the chains rattling when he moves. Jaebum watches his every move. “We have to get out,” he repeats as he begins pulling on the chain where it connects to the wall. He's desperate. He stops when he hears the heavy door of the dungeon creaking open. Youngjae's eyes scan the hall, waiting for the footsteps to reach his cell. Finally two guards appear, both brandishing swords. One walks towards Youngjae's cell, unlocking the door before walking in.

“Cooperate, and no one will get hurt,” the man says. Youngjae remains still, remembering what Seung-Li had said when he dropped Youngjae's mother's body. ‘It's a reminder. If you step out of line again, this will happen to your pretty little boyfriends’. He can't risk anyone's safety, so he doesn't fight as his wrists are bound behind his back, the shackle around his ankle is removed and the chain attached to the golden collar is taken off of the wall. The soldier laughs as he uses the chain like a leash, pulling Youngjae forward. The Prince narrows his eyes as he's led out of the cell.

Jaebum is at his side moments later, his wrists bound as well. “We’ll get out,” Jaebum whispers to him before pressing a soft kiss to the side of his neck. Youngjae wants to cry again as he's pulled forward by the chain. The two are led out of the dungeon and through the halls of the palace. They turn down the hall leading to the large throne room. Youngjae can see Seung-Li sitting atop his throne, looking like he thinks he's some god. Rage fills him as he bolts forward. 

He wants to kill Seung-Li. He chokes when the chain is pulled, trying to force him back. Youngjae is so blinded by rage that he doesn't notice the bloodied body being dragged towards the throne. The soldier holding the chain, kicks the backs of his knees, forcing him down. He then holds the Prince down on his knees. Then Youngjae can see clearly again. On his knees, in front of the King’s throne, beaten and bloody, is Kunpimook. His white hair stained red and brown with blood and dirt.

“Hello Youngjae,” Seung-Li grins. “I think we should negotiate. If you want your friends to live, I suggest you sit and listen,” the King says confidently. Kunpimook's eyes are half open, his head being held up by his hair. Seung-Li tightens his grip on the young male’s hair, making him grimace. Youngjae narrows his eyes, but his muscles relax and he stops moving. 

“Good, let’s begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was a longer chapter, I really hope you enjoyed the dragon action and the new twist i've added! I'll try to update again soon.
> 
> Just an FYI, I'm leaving on vacation next Sunday and I'll be gone for three weeks, I will write while I'm away and I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload chapters but I will continue writing so I can upload the chapters whenever I can!


	14. They're Keeping Us Apart 'Cuz We've Already Won

The tone in Seung-Li’s voice makes Youngjae shiver. “What do you want to negotiate?” Youngjae snarled, attempting to sound equally threatening. Seung-Li smirks.

“Will you cooperate?” He asks, adding more pressure to the blade against Kunpimook's fragile skin. Youngjae nods. The King laughs, lowering his blade and letting go of Kunpimook, pushing him to the side. Youngjae narrows his eyes. The soldier behind him pulls him to his feet, pushing him towards Seung-Li’s throne. He's forced to his knees at the bottom of the five stairs leading up to the throne. “Great. Now Youngjae, I have a plan for you. You can accept or decline. But I suggest you accept,” Seung-Li explains, leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees. 

“What is it?” Youngjae asked, eyes narrowed. He knew he wasn't going to like the deal, but he would listen. He had to cooperate for Kunpimook’s safety. If the rest of the Dragon Riders were here, Seung-Li had too much leverage over Youngjae. 

“Here's the deal. You help me track down those good for nothing mercenaries I sent for you and you stay here. Or you can go free, but I will kill your new friends,” Seung-Li proposes. “It's your choice,” he adds, shrugging his shoulders as if he's not playing with the lives of nine people. Youngjae had to think for a moment, he's definitely not going to let Seung-Li kill the others, he can't. But he also can't let him kill Yoongi and Jimin. He has to propose something else.

“Youngjae,” Jaebum says from behind. Youngjae turns his head, looking at the older male still on his knees about ten feet away. He doesn't know what to do. He looks back at Seung-Li unsurely. 

“No, I-I can't let you hurt anyone,” Youngjae says nervously. He feels like the walls are closing in on him. Seung-Li’s cold eyes are focused on the Prince as he struggles to find a better solution. He won't let Seung-Li hurt the people who saved him and loved him. But Yoongi and Jimin didn't deserve to die either, the mercenaries only wanted to take Taehyung back home. Time slows down, a sharp ringing noise is all Youngjae can hear. He's panicking. People will be hurt because of him, it's his fault, it's his fault… 

“Youngjae! Youngjae, deep breaths,” a voice calls. It sounds like he's underwater and the familiar voice is calling from above the surface. The voice is reaching for him to pull him back to reality. “Please let me help him!” the voice cries desperately. Moments later, Youngjae can feel hands on his cheeks, gently rubbing his smooth skin. Finally clear vision returns and he can see Jaebum kneeling in front of him, his worried eyes locked on his. His wrists are red with rope burn. Youngjae begins breathing heavily, clenching his fists behind his back. “Hey you have to relax, take deep breaths,” Jaebum says calmly, even though his eyes show he is everything but calm. 

“Th-they're going to hurt him, they're going to hurt Kunpimook,” Youngjae says, his voice quiet and panicked. Jaebum shook his head. 

“They won't if we cooperate. We have to propose a different deal if we want to get out of here alive,” Jaebum explains, his thumbs brushing over Youngjae's cheeks, slowly calming the younger male. Youngjae nods in agreement. Then, the two are silent. Youngjae's eyes narrow in concentration, trying to figure out a way to trick Seung-Li. Or at least keep his friends out of harm’s way. The Prince looks up at Seung-Li, Jaebum moving out of the way. 

“I'll stay, but I can't help you find them, let them go,” Youngjae says, his voice loud and commanding. The voice of a true King. Seung-Li is visually shocked by the power and unwavering determination in Youngjae's usually timid voice. Seung-Li’s eyes narrow suddenly. It looks like he's thinking hard about what he should respond with. Youngjae kept his gaze unwavering, watching the King. 

“H-hyung, n-no. It's a t-trap,” a small desperate voice exclaims. Youngjae's gaze locks on Kunpimook as he speaks. The King stands up, towering over Kunpimook. 

“Hoseok, get him out of here,” Seung-Li growled. The general moves from his place beside the throne towards the injured male. Youngjae struggles against the soldier holding him down. He can hear Jaebum behind him struggling to get to Kunpimook. 

“Please don't hurt him,” Youngjae yells as Hoseok grabs Kunpimook by the back of his neck. He can see the pained look on the younger's face. His fiery gaze meets Seung-Li. “What were you planning?” Youngjae snarled. He's desperate, Youngjae can tell. He looks at the soldiers standing around the room, unsure how to react. 

“I want him out of my sight,” Seung-Li said coldly. His heart races as Hoseok begins to drag Kunpimook out of the throne room.

“What are you planning?” Youngjae yelled. He grit his teeth to stop himself from screaming. 

“That's none of your business. Now you all have proven to be too much trouble, a public execution will be scheduled in the morning,” Seung-Li decides. The calm tone in the King's voice is shocking. He just sealed the fates of seven individuals and he spoke like he had turned down simple plans. 

Public Execution. 

Youngjae's heart stopped. 

“No! You son of a bitch,” Youngjae screamed. The soldier behind him grabbed the back of the golden collar, pulling him up. Youngjae continued to fight, kicking his legs back, kicking the soldier, causing him to fall. Youngjae fell forward, stumbling before standing up straight, trying to run after the King. 

“Youngjae stop!” Jaebum yells. Youngjae only focuses on Seung-Li. He doesn't notice the soldiers scrambling after him. Suddenly, he's being tackled to the ground. He tries to protect his head as he falls forward, but he's unsuccessful. His head smashes against the ground and moments later, everything goes dark. In those few moments, Youngjae can faintly hear Jaebum screaming his name.

-x-

“Is he awake yet?” Jaebum asked for the millionth time in about five minutes. Mark looked up from the unconscious body of the Prince. Jaebum and Jackson were in the cell opposite of Mark and Youngjae while Jinyoung, Kunpimook and Yugyeom were in the cell beside Jaebum and Jackson.

“Relax. According to what you've told us, he hit his head pretty hard, he may be concussed,” Mark said, looking back down at Youngjae. The younger male's skin was pale, there was a bump on his forehead, blood dripping from the cut on his head. 

“W-what about the execution?” Yugyeom asked nervously. Kunpimook's head lay in his lap, the younger of the two gently running his fingers through his blood stained white hair. Jaebum sighed, rubbing his eyes roughly in frustration. 

“I don't know, but we have to get to the dragons and get out, no one is dying,” Jaebum says, his voice low. Yugyeom nodded slowly, looking through the bars of the cell over at Jaebum. “We're going to get out of here. I promise,” he says. Everyone else is silent. Silent enough to hear the soft groans emitting from Youngjae's mouth as he begins to regain consciousness. Jaebum rushes forward to the bars of his cell, Jackson not far behind.

“Youngjae? It's Mark,” Mark says quietly, gently stroking Youngjae's messy hair. Youngjae's eyes open slowly, he stays as still as possible. 

“Hyung? T-they're going to kill us,” are the first words out of the distraught Prince's mouth. Mark frowns, shaking his head, leaning down towards Youngjae.

“No no no, that won't happen baby, we're going to get out of here,” Mark says quietly, trying to comfort the young boy. Jaebum watches silently through the bars of his cell as Mark hugs Youngjae. He whispers quietly to the young boy, calming him down as he cries. Youngjae seems so vulnerable, scared. 

“Youngjae, you know I won't let anyone die. And I don't think the dragons would allow that either,” Jaebum says from his cell. Mark helps Youngjae sit up and turn to face Jaebum. 

“W-where are the dragons?” Youngjae wondered, realizing that he didn't know where Sage was or if she was okay. “I-is Sage okay?” he asked worriedly. Jackson nods.

“We told them to get to the forest, they should be hiding. They'll come when we need them, I promise,” Jackson says. Youngjae wipes his eyes, beginning to calm down. “Trust them,” Jackson adds a moment later, a soft smile on his face. Youngjae's lips turn up into a smile knowing Sage and the other dragons are okay. 

“Hyung, my eyes hurt,” Youngjae says, wincing slightly. Jinyoung looks over from his cell. A bandage is now wrapped around his arm. 

“He's probably has a minor concussion, he should get some rest, but make sure he's somewhat comfortable,” Jinyoung advises. Mark nods, taking off his dirty jacket and balling it up. He places it on the ground and helps Youngjae lay back. 

“Sleep, Youngjae,” Mark says, kissing his forehead gently. Youngjae quickly falls asleep, his breathing even and soft. Mark sits close to the cell bars, the others sitting as close to the bars as they can. 

“What do we do?” Yugyeom wondered, his fingers tapping against the bars. Jaebum sighed. A smirk pulls at Jaebum's lips as he looks up, eyes traveling around at the five others. 

“I have an idea.”

-x-

The sun beat down on the seven bodies being pulled out to the gallows. The crowd had gathered, screaming insults at the seven Dragon Riders. Youngjae kept his head down, Hoseok holding him by the chain connected to the golden collar. He was shaking. Jaebum and Jackson had told him not to worry, but he was terrified. They get closer to the stage and Youngjae can see Seung-Li standing high and proud. The seven are led in front of the stage. The humidity of the warm summer day makes Youngjae sweat, the beads dripping down the side of his face and his back. His head aches, eyes trying to avoid the sun.

“Now, my people. We will witness the complete extermination of the Dragon Riders!” Seung-Li exclaims. The crowd roars in excitement. Two guards stalk towards the seven standing on the ground in front of the stage. Youngjae's eyes follow the two guards until they pull Yugyeom and Jaebum from the line. 

No. 

Suddenly Youngjae feels something jab into his side. He turns his head to the side and he sees Jackson giving him a sad look, his elbow gently prodding Youngjae's side. “Stay,” the older male whispers. Youngjae purses his lips. He had to do something. He had to help them, he had to do something. But he stayed still, his heart racing with fear. Jaebum glanced back at the five left standing in the line and gave them a sad smile, but none of them failed to notice the sparkle in his eyes. They knew something no one else knew. The crowd continued to jeer and laugh, Youngjae can no longer see Jaebum and Yugyeom, they must be on the stage. He can hear footsteps and rustling atop the gallows, he doesn't want to look up at the two ropes dangling down, empty for now.

“The extermination of the undesirables in our Kingdom begins now!” Seung-Li roars, wriling the crowd up even more. The crowd soon goes silent, eyes pointed up at the top of the stage. Youngjae knows why. He's holding his breath, looking down at the ground. Then he hears the snap, the crowd cheering once again and the two Dragon Riders dangling from the rope struggling to breathe with the rope tied tight around their necks. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Kunpimook flinch, wide eyes locked on the ground. 

Where are the dragons, Jaebum and Yugyeom can't stay like that forever, or they'll die. It seems like entire centuries pass before the cheering of the crowd turns to screams of terror. Youngjae looks up to see Algor, the ice blue warrior dragon leading the charge towards the gallows. Sage isn't far behind him. The rest of the dragons appear from everywhere, a perfect attack. The people begin to scatter, running for their lives. The five standing at the front of the stage run away as Apophet moves in, Algor already successfully clearing any opposition from the stage. Sobek lands nearby, strong teeth slicing through Kunpimook's bonds. 

“Go to them!” Jinyoung shouts over the roars of the crowd and the attacking dragons. Kunpimook nods before bounding up the steps to the stage. Youngjae watches in fear as Apophet hovers underneath Jaebum and Yugyeom. Both boys faces are turning purple and their struggling has grown weaker. Kunpimook grabs an axe left behind and slices through the rope holding Yugyeom, watching him land before quickly moving on to Jaebum. Youngjae releases a long breath when both land on Aphophet’s back safely and the dragon slowly lowers to the ground. 

Youngjae rubs his sore wrists after Sobek releases him from his bonds. Jinyoung and Mark reach the sorcerer dragon first, both helping the two sit up straight so they can breathe properly. Yugyeom’s eyes roll back and forth as he moves in and out of consciousness. Jaebum isn't much better, Jinyoung having to hold his head up. “Will they be okay?” Youngjae asks nervously. Jinyoung hesitates, watching Jaebum's chest rise and fall.

“With a few minutes of proper breathing they should get better, but it may take a while until they're completely alright,” Jinyoung says.

“Choi Youngjae!” a resentful voice screams. Youngjae turns his head to the source of the voice. Seung-Li stands about fifty feet away, the terrified civilians running around him as a black smoke like substance begins to circle him. 

“What the fuck is that?” Jackson growls, clenching his fists. Youngjae takes a deep breath, calming his shaky breathing. 

“Come on, we have to do something,” is all Youngjae responds with, walking up the stairs of the gallows to find a weapon left behind by a soldier.

“Why couldn't he just be human?” Jackson grumbles, rubbing his eyes in frustration. They all knew something had to be done. Seung-Li had to die to return the Kingdom to its former glory. Everything would change. They would cause that change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a crappy chapter that I wrote in a few days, sorry if it's awful. I wanted to get one out before I leave tomorrow!
> 
> I'll hopefully be able to post still! :)
> 
> But I hope you enjoyed this chapter


	15. Bad Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this ending there will be a few chapters before the good ending. 
> 
> I apologize in advance for any emotional pain

Recap

“Choi Youngjae!” a resentful voice screams. Youngjae turns his head to the source of the voice. Seung-Li stands about fifty feet away, the terrified civilians running around him as a black smoke like substance begins to circle him. 

“What the fuck is that?” Jackson growls, clenching his fists. Youngjae takes a deep breath, calming his shaky breathing. 

“Come on, we have to do something,” is all Youngjae responds with, walking up the stairs of the gallows to find a weapon left behind by a soldier.

“Why couldn't he just be human?” Jackson grumbles, rubbing his eyes in frustration. They all knew something had to be done. Seung-Li had to die to return the Kingdom to its former glory. Everything would change. They would cause that change.

-x-

Youngjae's heart pounded, fear climbing up his throat. He couldn't show his fear, attempting to push it back down to the pit of his stomach. He climbed the stairs of the gallows stage and quickly found a weapon he could use. A sword, perfect. He turned hearing rustling and the clanging of metal against metal. Jackson was there picking up a battle axe, hands running up the wooden shaft. Youngjae's attention was then caught by Kunpimook who was still on the stage. The axe he had found had been dropped to his side, his eyes were filled with fear. Youngjae frowned and moved forward the comfort the younger. 

“Don't worry, Yugyeom and Jaebum are going to be just fine. Now we need your help to stop Seung-Li,” Youngjae said kindly, his hand sliding to the back of Kunpimook’s sweaty neck. Kunpimook nods, his eyes lock with Youngjae's before he leans down to pick up the axe. 

“Let's go hyung,” Kunpimook says softly. Youngjae smiles, kissing the youngers forehead before he makes his way to the stairs, Jackson already gone. The black smoke like substance has now engulfed Seung-Li, the King no longer visible. Youngjae frowned noticing how the sky grew darker every second. In front of the stage, Jinyoung had Yugyeom and Jaebum leaning against Apophet’s side. 

“Come on, open your eyes dammit,” Jinyoung cursed, fingers caressing Yugyeom’s cheek. Jaebum's eyes were open but he looked dazed and lost. Mark stood next to Snowdrop, bow in hand, quiver slung across his back. 

“Guys, now would be a fantastic time to figure out a plan,” he yelled back at the other six, head turning. Youngjae frowned, what could they do? His father had taught him about magic and magic users. Some were more powerful than others. But all magic, even the strongest could be suppressed by Mage Flower. But they had none of that. Youngjae cursed under his breath, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. People were still scattering through the town, terrified cries and shouts filled the air. Youngjae turned to relook at Seung-Li, the black smoke surrounding him. 

“Y-Youngjae,” a raspy voice called. 

“Jaebum, don't talk. You need to steady your breathing,” Jinyoung advises. Youngjae turns and walks towards the older who leaned against Apophet's side. The dragon’s yellow eyes were locked on Seung-Li. Jaebum reached a hand out as Youngjae squatted down in front of him. 

“I'll be u-up to help soon,” Jaebum whispers, trying to help his throat recover from being crushed by the thick noose. Youngjae nods and leans forward to kiss the older male’s forehead, brushing his dark hair out of the way. As he stood up, Jinyoung grabbed his wrist. Youngjae turned, letting out a shaky breath. He knew Jinyoung could see through his facade that he was prepared and fearless. 

“Please stay safe,” Jinyoung breathed out, pulling Youngjae into a brief embrace. 

“I will,” the Prince responds before pulling away. Jackson, Mark and Kunpimook are waiting for him. As he moves towards the three he hears a loud roar behind him. He knows that roar from anywhere. Soon, Sage is flying overhead, a mist streaming from her open mouth like a ghostly waterfall. Youngjae smiles. 

“So what do we do? We don't know how to beat him,” Kunpimook said sounding discouraged. Youngjae frowned.

“I honestly don't know, but we’ll need the dragons help,” Youngjae says. The ground suddenly begins to rumble and a cracking sound grows louder and louder. Youngjae looks back at Seung-Li, the smoke is beginning to cover the city, shrouding it in darkness. They can no longer see the sun. Mark plucks an arrow from his quiver and aims his bow at the sorcerer. “I got it, we have to do everything we can to get Mark a clear shot,” Youngjae decides. Sage lands with a loud thud, standing tall beside Youngjae.

“Then let's go,” Jackson says simply. He twirls the axe in his hand and quickly kisses Mark’s cheek before leading the charge. Amarok soars above them, following his rider into battle. Seung-Li gazes up at the dragon and thrusts his hands up, sending the smoke towards Amarok. The armored dragon reacts quickly, spouting fire from his mouth, dispersing the smoke. Jackson closes in on Seung-Li, swinging the battle axe. Youngjae nudges Kunpimook's arm, an indication that they should join the fight. Kunpimook gives a curt nod before he runs forward as well, Youngjae not far behind. 

As Youngjae races forward, time seems to slow down. Up ahead, Jackson’s blows are being deflected by the sorcerer. The dark haired male is suddenly thrown backwards, landing hard on his back. Amarok circles the sorcerer from above, shooting fire to disperse the smoke. Sage surges forward, joining the armored dragon. Seung-Li lets out a roar, the same mist that had taken down Sage before flying from his palms. Sage veers away to avoid the mist, but Amarok isn't so lucky. Soon, the large dragon collapses. 

“You coward!” Youngjae screams, sword out. The King turns to face him, his eyes are wide and emotionless. His lips pull into an ugly grin as laughter erupts from his throat.

“Oh you poor naive little Prince,” Seung-Li sighs. His hands thrust toward Jackson and Kunpimook, stopping them in their tracks. Jackson yells in frustration as he's stuck in place, unable to move. Sage dives towards Seung-Li, but the sorcerer stomps his foot on the ground, vines shoot up from the earth, wrapping around Sage’s powerful body and pulling the dragon to the ground. Youngjae holds his sword out as Seung-Li stalks toward him.

“I'm going to kill you, and I will take back my Kingdom,” Youngjae sneered, taking a step forward. Seung-Li finds this amusing as he begins to laugh again. 

“I worked too hard to come into power, I will not be replaced so easily,” Seung-Li says. Youngjae's eyes narrow and he puts his weight on his front foot, jabbing his sword at Seung-Li’s abdomen. The blade pierces his skin, sinking into his flesh. But the Kings grin only grows. He pulls the sword loose and blood pours from the wound. How is he still standing? He stabs the sorcerer again, this time right through his neck. He should've dropped dead right there. But he's still standing. Youngjae releases the sword, stepping back in fear. 

Seung-Li pulls the blade from his neck, cutting his palms in the process. Youngjae watches in horror as the wound quickly closes up, the skin doesn't even scar. The sorcerer surges forward, wrapping his hand around Youngjae's throat after ripping the golden collar away, finally freeing Youngjae's neck. The Prince's eyes widen as he claws at Seung-Li’s hands trying to pry them away from his neck. “I worked too hard for this. Do you want to hear my proudest moment?” Seung-Li asks, cocking his head to the side. 

“Youngjae!” A loud voice screams. He can't turn his head to see who's shouting his name.

“My proudest moment, was when I killed your father.”

Youngjae freezes. His heartbeat slows. The world seems to stop around him. Seung-Li had killed his father to gain control of the Kingdom. He had killed him. He is brought back to reality by the feeling of burning hot pain around his neck. He can smell burning flesh and he begins gasping for air. A sharp whizzing noise zooms past him and an arrow buries itself in Seung-Li’s shoulder, jerking him back. He releases Youngjae and the Prince falls to the ground, his hands hesitantly reaching up to his neck. He can't breathe. 

“Youngjae!” the voice calls again. He can hear shoes skid in the dirt as someone grabs Youngjae from under his arms and drag him to his feet. “Come on, lets go,” Jaebum says, pulling Youngjae away from Seung-Li. Youngjae resists, fighting against the older. “What the hell are you doing? Lets go!” Jaebum exclaims. 

“W-we have to help them,” Youngjae rasps, pointing back at Jackson and Kunpimook, frozen in place. Sage is still struggling against the vines tying her down. Seung-Li is moving towards them, the most surrounds him and he thrusts his arms forward. Youngjae tries to turn away, but he's too slow. He breathes in the sweet scent and he immeadiately feels dizzy. He sways on his feet before his knees buckles and he falls to the side on the ground, the sorcerer towering above him.

“Rest well, I'll see you when you wake.”

-x-

Youngjae woke to hoarse screams. Just hearing them made his throat burn. He slowly opened his eyes and raised his head from the hard floor of the throne room. Beside him lay the unmoving body of Yugyeom. Youngjae felt fear rise in his throat, he quickly pushes the younger onto his back and pressed his fingers to the side of his neck to find his pulse. For a moment, he felt nothing and was sure the youngest Dragon Rider was dead. But his hand shifted and he could feel the faint and slow pulse. Youngjae leaned over his body, a relieved cry escaping his lips. He held the younger’s body close.

The screams started again and Youngjae whips his head around. Jaebum is kneeling in the middle of the throne room, his arms resting on his head. He could see the faint mist floating around his body, Seung-Li’s body keeping him in place as a soldier cracked the whip against his bare back. As his eyes travelled throughout the room, he saw Jackson, laying a few feet away from the soldier with the whip, his back bloody. Mark was still unconscious, his head laying in Jinyoung’s lap. Kunpimook lay a few feet from Yugyeom, his eyes half open, blood running down his forehead. 

“Ah, you're awake,” Seung-Li bellows, bringing everyone's attention to Youngjae. Jaebum strains to turn his head to see Youngjae, eyes wild. Youngjae continues to hold Yugyeom in his arms. Seung-Li walks towards him, flicking his wrist towards Jaebum. The older collapses forward, his back covered in bleeding lashes from the whip. Kunpimook looks over at Youngjae, inhaling sharply. His eyes are locked on Youngjae's neck.

“W-what?” Youngjae asked nervously, a hand coming up to his neck to touch the sensitive skin. 

“H-he burned you hyung,” Kunpimook says. Youngjae’s brows furrowed, then he remembers. The King’s hand wrapped around his neck, the searing pain he felt around his neck. 

“What to do with your friends,” Seung-Li sighs, walking towards Youngjae, tapping his chin. “I could kill them, that would fix many problems,” the King says, thinking out loud. Youngjae narrows his eyes. “I think I've decided,” he finally says.

“What,” Youngjae snarls. Yugyeom begins to shift in his lap, groaning softly. Kunpimook crawls towards them, hands cupping Yugyeom’s cheeks as the youngest opens his eyes. 

“I think I'll sell them, those two would make great labor workers for noble families,” Seung-Li says, motioning to Jaebum and Jackson. “Your other friends can be used for, other purposes,” Seung-Li adds, smirking. Jinyoung looked over at the King, and if looks could kill. The medic’s eyes were narrowed, anger sparking in his dark eyes. His arms held Mark protectively. 

“No,” Youngjae growled. Seung-Li raised an eyebrow as Youngjae stood up shakily, leaving Yugyeom in Kunpimook's arms. 

“No? Who are you to think you can defy me?” Seung-Li laughed. Youngjae didn't respond. He leapt forward, fist clenched to land a punch to the King’s face. But his fist never made contact with the King’s face. Instead it hit some kind of forcefield, burning his knuckles. Youngjae jumped back, holding his hand to his chest. “You can't hurt me, it will be better if you just submit,” Seung-Li says, walking forward. His arm surges out, hand wrapping around the Prince’s throat. “Submit to me,” the King snarls. The soldier still in the room with the whip in his hand grabs Jaebum by his hair and pulls him back to his knees. He wraps the whip around Jaebum's neck. Jackson struggles to get to his hands and knees. 

“I'll kill him,” the soldier announces. Youngjae's eyes find Jaebum as he claws at the leather squeezing at his neck. The look in Jaebum's eyes told him that they were defeated as much as they didn't want to admit it. Youngjae knew it too. The same look was in everyone's eyes, even Mark who had just regained consciousness. 

“I surrender.”

-x-

The Dragon Riders surrender was the biggest news throughout the town. A banishment spell had been placed over the Kingdom, no dragon could enter the Kingdom. Everyone assumed that Algor had led the other dragons away to keep them safe until their riders returned. The Kingdom had returned to its corrupted ways with Seung-Li as their ruler. 

Youngjae now oversaw the Kingdom through steel bars. Instead of keeping him locked away, Seung-Li had him put on display in the middle of the town. Chains held him arms up above his head. His bare torso was covered in gold jewelery. The burns around his neck were on display, a thin chain holding Youngjae's head up to reveal the brand. The other Dragon Riders had been sold into slavery except for Jinyoung, he remained in the Palace as Seung-Li’s personal healer. He often saw the medic in the Palace when he was brought inside for the night. Jinyoung was always allowed to look over Youngjae to make sure he was healthy, healthy enough to stay alive. 

Youngjae had been at the auction where the others had been sold. Jaebum, Jackson and Yugyeom being sold for labor purposes while Mark and Kunpimook were sold as pleasure slaves. He remembered the fear in Mark’s eyes as he was dragged off the stage to be given to his Master. Youngjae watched as all of his friends were sold like property. Jaebum was last. His scarred skin and muscular torso on display for the noble men looking for slaves. Jaebum's defeated gaze found Youngjae. He just stared, until the auction worker led him off stage. 

That night Youngjae cried until he could cry no more. He had been given a small room in the servants quarters that he shared with Jinyoung. Every night, the soldiers locked the door, trapping them inside until morning when Youngjae would be fed and taken outside. Jinyoung had attempted to calm him, but he was having trouble containing his tears as well. The two cried together, wrapped in each other's arms until they were too exhausted to make another sound. That night, they had fallen asleep together in the same bed. The feeling of Jinyoung's arms holding him brought him comfort, but not enough to fill the hole in his heart. 

Sometimes, while trapped in the cage in the town, Youngjae would see his friends. Usually Jackson, Jaebum and Yugyeom. Every time he saw them, he would notice the fresh lashes on their backs, punishments for disbehaving or defying their Masters. He hated knowing that they were being abused, but glad to know they could still fight back.

He remembered the last time he had seen Jaebum. He screamed the others name until he could head over the crowds of the market. Jaebum's head had never turned so quickly. He had wasted no time dropping the load of wooden planks he carried over his shoulder. When he reached the cage, he grabbed at the bars, an arm reaching through to touch him. Youngjae leaned forward, sobbing happily as Jaebum's rough and calloused fingers brushed his cheek.

“You're okay,” Youngjae breathed out. Jaebum nodded, his fingers still reaching for Youngjae's face. An angry voice calls out to him. Youngjae can see a man storming toward Jaebum. 

“I love you, I love you so much Youngjae,” Jaebum said, his eyes locked with Youngjae's. Youngjae leans forward as much as he can, gently kissing Jaebum's forehead. The man grabs Jaebum by the back of his neck, pulling him away from the cage. Youngjae watched as Jaebum was pulled away, his Master scolding him and yelling about punishing him later. 

Youngjae had forgotten to say I love you.

Two years after being made into a living trophy, disease plagued the Kingdom. Youngjae was kept inside to keep him from catching the deadly disease. Through those months, he didn't hear many things from outside the Palace. He didn't know how many people had survived the plague. He also didn't know if his friends had survived. That's what worried him the most. Once the disease had passed, Youngjae was brought outside again. The feeling of fresh breeze against his skin seemed foreign. The town was much quieter, but people still rushes about, heading to the market or to the trade booths. Youngjae never saw Jaebum, Jackson or Yugyeom. Usually he saw them at least once a week, hauling planks of wood or buckets of tools through the market. 

He learns the fate of his friends and lovers through Kunpimook. The younger is one day sent to the market by his Master to buy groceries. He approaches Youngjae's steel prison, his eyes sad and lifeless. “K-Kunpimook,” Youngjae breathes out, the name doesn't roll off of his tongue like it always had. He hadn't spoke the youngers name in about three years. 

“Youngjae, i-its good to see you,” Kunpimook says, managing a smile as he looks at Youngjae through the bars. 

“Have you seen Mark? How is he?” Youngjae wondered. Kunpimook nods. 

“He's alive,” Kunpimook responds sadly. Youngjae frowns. He's glad the oldest is alive, but he lives his life as a pleasure slave. Him and Kunpimook live a life filled with unwanted sex and pain. 

“How are you?” Youngjae asks after a few awkward moments of silence. Kunpimook shrugs, looking down.

“I don't know,” he answers. His hand ruffles his filthy white hair. Youngjae bites his tongue. He wants to ask about Yugyeom, Jaebum and Jackson. Kunpimook notices his hesitation and can somehow tell what he's going to ask next.

“They're dead.”

Two words, spoken so simply. Deep inside, Youngjae had assumed that they hadn't survived. But it still hurts, it hurts so bad. Jaebum is dead. Jackson is dead. Yugyeom, young and once so full of life, is dead. He broke out into tears, hanging in the cage, the chains holding him up. Kunpimook frowned, silent tears streaking down his face. He had seen how close him and Yugyeom were, he couldn't imagine how painful it was to lose him. 

“I f-failed you, I failed everyone,” Youngjae sobbed. His head hung low in shame. Kunpimook shook his head. 

“You didn't, trust me hyung. I guess this was how it was always supposed to be,” Kunpimook said sadly. When Youngjae looked back up, he could see the bruises on Kunpimook's neck and collarbones. “Is Jinyoung doing well?” he asked, moving his shirt over the fading marks.

“He's good, they're feeding him well,” Youngjae says. Kunpimook manages a smile.

“That's good, tell him I love him. I should start heading back, my Master will be angry if I take too long,” Kunpimook says. 

“Stay alive, Kunpimook,” Youngjae says. The younger nods.

“I will, you too. I love you,” he responds, reaching into the cage to brush his fingers against Youngjae's cheek. His eyes water when he remembers how Jaebum's rough fingers brushed over his skin so gently the last time they saw each other.

“I love you too.”

This time, Youngjae wouldn't forget.

-x-

Kunpimook was out running errands for his Master again. He had business partners coming over for dinner that he expected Kunpimook to prepare. Life wasn't getting better, it had gotten so hard. Whenever he was in the market he made sure to see Youngjae. As he passed the cage, he frowned. It was empty. It was a fairly cold day and whenever the Prince was on display he was never given much to wear. Kunpimook assumed he had been able to stay inside. 

Kunpimook passed other slaves being pulled around by their Masters, some looking like him with bruises lining their necks. It reminded him of Mark. He missed Mark. About a month ago, Mark had been executed after he stole from his Master and attempted to flee the Kingdom. Now it was just Youngjae, Jinyoung and Kunpimook. 

After finishing his shopping he stopped by the news stand, a brown board that displayed the recent and most important news in the Kingdom. In bold in the middle of the board was a headline. Kunpimook dropped the bags in his hands, his hands covering his mouth. 

“Two Bodies Found at the Bottom of Palace Cliff”

The Saerin Palace rested at the highest elevation of the Kingdom, and was placed about a half a mile from a cliff which was rightfully named Palace Cliff. He continued reading.

"This morning, a search team sent out by King Seung-Li discovered the bodies of Choi Youngjae and Park Jinyoung at the bottom of Palace Cliff. The deaths of the two Dragon Riders are confirmed as suicide. "

Kunpimook was alone. 

-x-

"Daily News"

"Body of the Last Dragon Rider, Kunpimook Bhuwakul was found last night by his Master Choi Seungcheol. Bhuwakul was found with his wrists slit open, a kitchen knife in his hand. The death is a confirmed suicide."

-x-

Quick Explanation about the deaths of everyone.

Jackson and Jaebum were killed by the disease that plagued Kingdom. 

Yugyeom was beaten to death when his Master returned home from a bar drunk.  
(I'm so sorry)

Mark stole about 5000 gold pieces from his Master and attempted to run away. Saerin soldiers found him and he was executed the next day.

A few months after learning of Jaebum, Jackson and Yugyeom’s deaths, Jinyoung and Youngjae escaped the palace and together they jumped from Palace Cliff, killing themselves. 

Kunpimook slit his wrists and bled to death when his Master was out for the night.


	16. Quick Update/Apology

To start this off, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. During my vacation I barely had time to write and when I did I wasn't satisfied with it. This upcoming chapter may take a while to write because there will be a lot going on and I want to give out quality writing. 

But an update will be coming soon! 

Again I apologize for not updating, I am currently working on the next chapter and I plan to update very soon!

Thank you for reading and hopefully enjoying my writing! 

I'm also planning other stories I hope to release soon as well.

Hope you all stay tuned for new chapters and stories!

\- alexa


	17. In The Muddy Waters We're Falling

Recap 

 

Youngjae's heart pounded, fear climbing up his throat. He couldn't show his fear, attempting to push it back down to the pit of his stomach. He climbed the stairs of the gallows stage and quickly found a weapon he could use. A sword, perfect. He turned hearing rustling and the clanging of metal against metal. Jackson was there picking up a battle axe, hands running up the wooden shaft. Youngjae's attention was then caught by Kunpimook who was still on the stage. The axe he had found had been dropped to his side, his eyes were filled with fear. Youngjae frowned and moved forward the comfort the younger. 

“Don't worry, Yugyeom and Jaebum are going to be just fine. Now we need your help to stop Seung-Li,” Youngjae said kindly, his hand sliding to the back of Kunpimook’s sweaty neck. Kunpimook nods, his eyes lock with Youngjae's before he leans down to pick up the axe. 

“Let's go hyung,” Kunpimook says softly. Youngjae smiles, kissing the younger’s forehead before he makes his way to the stairs, Jackson already gone. The black smoke like substance has now engulfed Seung-Li, the King no longer visible. Youngjae frowned noticing how the sky grew darker every second. In front of the stage, Jinyoung had Yugyeom and Jaebum sitting against Apophet’s side. 

“Come on, open your eyes dammit,” Jinyoung cursed, fingers caressing Yugyeom’s cheek. Jaebum's eyes were open but he looked dazed and lost. Mark stood next to Snowdrop, bow in hand, quiver slung across his back. 

“Guys, now would be a fantastic time to figure out a plan,” he yelled back at the other six, head turning. Youngjae frowned, what could they do? His father had taught him about magic and magic users. Some were more powerful than others. But all magic, even the strongest could be suppressed by Mage Flower. But they had none of that. Youngjae cursed under his breath, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. People were still scattering through the town, terrified cries and shouts filled the air. Youngjae turned to relook at Seung-Li, the black smoke surrounding him. 

“Y-Youngjae,” a raspy voice called. 

“Jaebum, don't talk. You need to steady your breathing,” Jinyoung advises. Youngjae turns and walks towards the older who leaned against Apophet's side. The dragon’s yellow eyes were locked on Seung-Li. Jaebum reached a hand out as Youngjae squatted down in front of him. 

“I'll be u-up to help soon,” Jaebum whispers, trying to help his throat recover from being crushed by the thick noose. Youngjae nods and leans forward to kiss the older male’s forehead, brushing his dark hair out of the way. As he stood up, Jinyoung grabbed his wrist. Youngjae turned, letting out a shaky breath. He knew Jinyoung could see through his facade that he was prepared and fearless. 

“Please stay safe,” Jinyoung breathed out, pulling Youngjae into a brief embrace. 

“I will,” the Prince responds before pulling away. Jackson, Mark and Kunpimook are waiting for him. As he moves towards the three he hears a loud roar behind him. He knows that roar from anywhere. Soon, Sage is flying overhead, a mist streaming from her open mouth like a ghostly waterfall. Youngjae smiles. 

“So what do we do? We don't know how to beat him,” Kunpimook said sounding discouraged. Youngjae frowned.

-x-

They had no idea what Seung-Li was fully capable of, which was a definite disadvantage. Youngjae bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. They would just have to try until something worked. “We just need to throw everything we've got at him,” he said. He looked up at Sage, who was gazing down at him, wings flapping to keep herself in the air. Youngjae didn't have to say anything to the dragon for her to understand. The dragon roared, the mist pouring from the sides of her mouth. 

Her powerful wings push her higher and higher into the sky. Then, she dives. Sage dives down from high in the sky, targeting Seung-Li. A bright light grows from her mouth before shooting out like a cannonball. The blue fireball moves so quickly before exploding as it hits the ground. The ground trembles from the force, Youngjae almost losing his balance. He can't see the dark smoke that had been circling around Seung-Li. Mark had fallen over from the force, Snowdrop landing beside him to offer aid. Jackson stepped in front of Youngjae, the battle axe hanging from his hand. 

“Where did he go?” Mark wondered, using Snowdrop to help get back to his feet. The dust from the explosion began to clear, making the place where Seung-Li had stood visible. There was nothing but a large crater in the ground. 

“Sobek, let’s check it out,” Kunpimook says. He hopes on the dragon's back and they lift off into the air. Sobek hovers over the crater, Kunpimook leaning over to find the King’s body. He turns the dragon back, landing back on the ground. “He's not there, there's nothing,” the younger male says, his white hair sticking to his forehead. Youngjae frowned. 

Suddenly, Algor lifted off into the sky, his eyes wide and observant. Youngjae's attention is brought to the dragon hovering in the sky, rising beside Sage. The sky above them darkens, lightening striking close by. All of the dragons are high alert. Something is going to happen, Youngjae can tell. He can feel the anger rolling off of Sage. 

“What the hell is that?” Mark exclaimed. Youngjae's gaze followed the older male's outstretched arm. Appearing from nowhere was a dragon. It's skin was a dark turquoise. It's eyes were large and beady. Multiple horns adorned it's head while holes decorated his wings. 

“It's him… It's Seung-Li,” Jaebum’s raspy voice comes from behind Youngjae. The younger turns, a shaky breath escaping through his lips. “Algor, down!” Jaebum yells up to the dragon hovering in the sky. The dragon looks down before soaring back to the ground. 

“Jaebum no,” Youngjae says, grabbing his wrist before he can leave. Jaebum stops, and lets out a long breath. He moves close to the younger male before leaning in, pressing his lips against Youngjae's. And without saying a word, he escapes Youngjae's grip and races to climb atop Algor’s back. The dragon, Seung-Li, lifts into the air. A sickening green mist pours from his mouth before fire spits out towards Sage. Algor reacts, intercepting Seung-Li’s attack with shards of ice shot from his shoulder blades. 

“I'm going up,” Mark says, rushing to Snowdrop’s side, climbing on top of her back. “Jackson I need you to cover me,” he adds, grabbing his bow as Snowdrop lifts herself into the air. Jackson doesn't waste any time. He's on Amarok’s back in no time, joining Mark and Jaebum. Youngjae honestly doesn't know what to do. Should he be up there with them. Four dragons and three riders should be enough right? 

Wrong. 

Seung-Li roars, invisible waves of sound crashing into the other dragon's. Snowdrop screeches, attempting to avoid the attack. But the waves crash into her side, almost sending Mark flying. Amarok’s attack is physical, attempting to ram into Seung-Li’s side. But the smaller, more agile dragon dodges, his spiked tail, impaling Amarok, finding the chinks in the armor. Amarok's roars in pain, Jackson struggling to stay on his back. The armored dragon is assaulted again by Seung-Li’s spiked tail, causing him to lose balance in the air. The dragon begins to fall to the ground. 

“Youngjae move!” Jinyoung screams. The medic runs at him, wrapping an arm around his waist as he drags the younger male out of danger. A few feet from where the Prince had stood, Amarok had landed, Jackson laying crumpled beside the dragon. Jinyoung ran to Jackson's side, the dark haired male struggling to sit up. Algor and Sage attack next, attempting an attack from either side of Seung-Li. But the small dragon escapes easily, causing the other two dragons to collide in the air. Both drop a few feet before regaining their balance. But Seung-Li is already soaring away. Soaring right towards Youngjae. Jinyoung is dragging Jackson over to Yugyeom who is now fully conscious and standing. Yugyeom screams at him as Seung-Li swoops lower, claws on his feet outstretched. Youngjae raises his blade, attempting to cut into the dragon's sensitive feet. The blade is knocked away by the dragon's strong claws. The claws dig into Youngjae's flesh, capturing his shoulders in a death grip. Youngjae screams in pain, tears pricking his eyes. 

“No!” Yugyeom cries, stumbling towards Youngjae. But he isn't fast enough. Seung-Li’s wings carry him and Youngjae into the air, away from the kingdom. His smaller size makes him faster, escaping the larger but stronger dragons. Youngjae screamed and kicked as he was taken higher and higher into the sky. The dragon’s sharp claws dug into his skin like knives, tightening their grip every few seconds. The pain was overwhelming. This was what Seung-Li was capable of, he was not only a sorcerer, but he was a shapeshifter as well. When he turned his head, he could see Sage and Algor in hot pursuit, but they couldn't attack in fear of injuring the Prince dangling from the dragon’s claws. Below, Youngjae spots the ruins of what was once a gorgeous summer home. A home he visited with his mother when his father was too busy with work. He would send the two to the beautiful property to stay away from the stress. 

But now the house built with stone and lumber was mostly gone, destroyed in a storm. The dragon flew down towards the ruins, getting close to the ground before finally releasing Youngjae. The Prince tumbles to the ground, hissing in pain as the gravel scraps the skin on his palms. The dragon faces him, smoke beginning to pour from his mouth. 

He's going to die. He can see the fire lighting in the dragon’s mouth, ready to burn him alive. The fire burns brighter and Youngjae can see Seung-Li through the dragon. He can tell the sorcerer is laughing like a maniac, he can't wait to watch Youngjae die in agony. The dragon's mouth opens wider, Youngjae closes his eyes. But the burning fire never envelopes him. He hears a large crash and opens his eyes. Sage had barreled into Seung-Li, knocking the dragon to the side. He spread his decaying wings and screeched. The sound was ear-piercing. So loud, the ruins began to shake. Sage continues to battle Seung-Li, rearing on her hind legs. As she lands, she lowers her head and charges, her long, sharp horns digging into the other dragon’s side. The ground trembles and small broken stone falls from the standing walls. 

Algor lands nearby, not getting in Sage’s way. Seung-Li roars, flames shooting from his mouth, the flames hit the ruined building, causing more broken stones to fall. At this rate the building will collapse. Youngjae is trapped in the doorway of the house, if he were to try to get out, he could be trampled by the fighting dragons. He could honestly admit that he was terrified. Blood seeped from the wounds that the dragon's claws had created. They stung and ached. Through the flapping wings of the battling dragons, Youngjae spots the other dragons making their way to the ground. Jaebum didn't come with Algor, so where was he? From the crazed look in the dragon’s eyes, Youngjae can tell Seung-Li is getting desperate. 

Sage’s attacks are unrelenting. Her sharp horns piercing the other dragon’s reptilian skin, tearing through his wings with malice. The other dragons land, Seung-Li is outnumbered and he knows it. The ground rumbles as Fenrir tears and joins the attack. Seung-Li notices but continues batting his wings to keep Sage at a distance. Fenrir gets closer, and closer. And finally, Seung-Li leaps out of the way, causing the larger dragon to try to stop before crashing into the house. 

A loud crash sounds and stones begin to fall, fast and from everywhere. Youngjae is still in the doorway, unable to get out without being trampled. Stones are falling left and right. One falls onto Youngjae’s shoulder, making him cry out in pain. The stone don't stop falling. He hears a loud roar before everything goes black.

-x-

“Youngjae!” Jaebum screamed. His voice was hoarse and he couldn't get to the wreckage. Algor was there, digging through the stones, tossing them aside. Sage was furious, her attacks were unrelenting. She swiped her long claws across the other dragon’s face before thrusting her head forward, her horns impaling the dragon’s neck. Seung-Li screeched and batted Sage away with his torn wing. Blood spurt from the wound, the dragon reeled back. Fenrir roared and ran at Seung-Li, the horns atop his head piercing the dragon's skin. The dragon cried out before collapsing. 

Jaebum immediately ran forward, Sage had began to claw through the broken stone and logs, desperate to find Youngjae. Footsteps behind him race through the dirt to his side. Jackson is breathless beside him. “Where is he?” Jinyoung asked, his breath shaky. Jaebum didn't respond, he only moves closer to the rubble. Large broken stones fly over his head as he reaches the rocks, Yugyeom and Kunpimook close behind. 

“We have to help,” Yugyeom says, rushing towards the ginormous pile of broken stone. He grabs at smaller stones, throwing them away from the pile. Jackson, Mark and Jinyoung appear at Jaebum’s side. Jackson doesn't look good, dirt and blood cover the left side of his face, blood drips from his split lip, a bruise blossoming near his jaw. He looks absolutely exhausted, his legs look like they could give out at any moment. He's favoring his right leg over the left. Kunpimook cautiously moves forward, placing his hands on Yugyeom’s shoulders, gently pulling him away from the rocks. The youngest’s hands are cut up and bleeding. 

“We have to find him!” Yugyeom yelps. He doesn't resist as Kunpimook pulls him away from the rubble, but his voice is desperate. Jaebum is frozen, he doesn't know what to do. He know the seven of them wouldn't be able to make a dent in the pile of stone, only the dragon’s could. Sage and Algor were ripping through the pile with ease.

Sage claws away more stone, then she freezes. A soft noise sounds from the dragon's mouth. There, laying crumpled on the ground, was Youngjae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I took so long to release this chapter. I was really trying to make this chapter entertaining and I wanted to add more of the dragons. I hope I was able to make this chapter enjoyable!
> 
> The story will be coming to an end soon, but I do plan to keep writing in this universe. I have oneshots planned and maybe even a sequel. I'm still working on the details bc I have two possible plots. 
> 
> Stay tuned for more updates coming soon! Thank you for reading :)


	18. It's Not Over, It's Not The End

“Youngjae!” Jaebum screams. He scrambles through the debris until he's beside the Prince, pushing large rocks away from his body. Jinyoung isn't far behind, his arms hooking under Youngjae's armpits to pull him out of the rubble and back to flat ground. 

“I need anything I can use bandages, I need something, anything,” Jinyoung says as he begins to rip the bottom of his loose black shirt. He hastily ties the fabric around Youngjae's bare neck. The golden collar that he had worn for weeks had broken off in the rocks. Jaebum wastes no time, peeling off his shirt and for Jinyoung to use. “I need to wrap it around his shoulders, he's losing too much blood,” Jinyoung says, his eyes wide, actions frantic. He begins to tear the shirt, attempting to make it into the two long strips of fabric. 

“Can I help hyung?” Kunpimook asks, kneeling beside the medic. Jinyoung spares a glance in Kunpimook's direction and nods.

“Carefully hold him up by his back, I need to wrap the bandage under his arm and around his shoulders,” Jinyoung explains. Kunpimook carefully worked his hands under Youngjae's body, lifting him off of the ground by the middle of his back. Mark reaches his hands out to hold up Youngjae's head. Jinyoung carefully takes one long strip of Jaebum's destroyed shirt. “Hold this down,” he instructs Jaebum, placing the end of the makeshift bandage at Youngjae's side, just under his arm, Jaebum holds the end in place as Jaebum works the bandage over Youngjae's bleeding chest. When he reaches Youngjae's shoulder, he wraps the fabric around his arm before moving the fabric along his chest back under his arm. The fabric begins soaking up the blood from the deep wounds. 

“He's still losing too much blood,” Mark says. Jinyoung cursed under his breath, dropping the bandage. 

“Jinyoung he's going to die!” Jaebum exclaimed as he began to put pressure on the wounds, blood seeping through his fingers. Jinyoung didn't know what to do, he had to save Youngjae, but they had no proper materials, and would anyone even help them? Only about an hour ago, the citizens of Saeris were more than happy to see them hanged. The more he thought, the more he drifted away from reality, and the more he slipped into his own mind. He was surrounded by darkness. And his thoughts. That's when something clicked inside him. He didn't know what possibly could have triggered it, but suddenly he knew exactly what to do. 

“Stay back!” Jinyoung yelps suddenly, holding his arms out. His fingers are trembling. Not with fear, but with energy. Kunpimook slowly lowers Youngjae's upper body back onto the ground. Jaebum hesitantly scoots back. He trusts Jinyoung enough to know to move away even when everything in his body screams at him to stay at Youngjae's side. The other five move away, creating a semicircle around Youngjae and Jinyoung. Apophet slowly moves behind Jinyoung, watching him, like he as well knows exactly what Jinyoung should do. 

Jinyoung slowly presses his fingertips against Youngjae's chest before pressing down. He can feel something, something coursing through his arm and down through his fingers and into Youngjae's body. The body beneath him arches off of the ground suddenly, gasping for air. Jinyoung stays focused on the injured boy but out of the corner of his eye he can see Jaebum take a quick step forward before stopping. 

Jinyoung doesn't stop. He can feel something happening, he watches as the torn skin on Youngjae's exposed collarbones slowly begin to mend back together. “Oh my god, h-hyung,” Yugyeom breathes out, noticing the skin mending back together. Scars are left on the soft skin of Youngjae's upper body, Jinyoung makes a mental note to kiss every single one of them when they are all safe. Jinyoung continues pressing on Youngjae's chest, watching the younger male arching off the ground. 

Youngjae begins to cough, blood coating his lips and teeth. “Jinyoung stop!” Mark exclaims, noticing the younger coughing up blood that Jinyoung had failed to notice. Jinyoung stayed concentrated on the wounds, it isn't until Apophet nudges his side that he pulls his fingers off of Youngjae's chest. His eyes are wide as he falls back onto his rear. 

“What did you do?” Jaebum asked, in awe as he gently ran his fingers over the new scars decorating Youngjae's shoulders and collarbones. Jinyoung licked his dry lips and shrugged his shoulders.

“I-I don't know, I just knew what to do,” Jinyoung responded, Apophet standing at his side to aid him as he got to his feet. Mark moved to Youngjae's side, his slender fingers moving to the side of his neck. 

“His pulse is stronger,” Mark says, looking back at the others around him. “He's going to be okay,” he breathes out happily. Sighs of relief echo from the group, overjoyed that Youngjae is still alive and will survive. 

“You have won nothing! The people will not follow you, they will want his head,” an outraged voice screams. Jaebum turns on his heels, pulling out his sword. Seung-Li, back in human form, stands among the rubble. Blood runs down the side of his face making him unrecognizable. Jinyoung can see the muscles in Jaebum's arms tensing, his shoulder blades moving restlessly under his skin. 

“You didn't kill him,” Jackson yells out. He still looks like he's about to pass out from falling out of the sky, Kunpimook is at his side, offering his support. Seung-Li’s eyes narrow and he slowly drags his feet through the rubble, moving closer and closer to the Dragon Riders. Even though blood pours from multiple wounds in his body, he looks ready to fight. 

“You'll lose, six against one,” Yugyeom says confidentially, standing up straight, shoulders pulled back, head held high. Seung-Li raises an eyebrow and snaps his fingers. Kunpimook lets out a surprised yelp as he tries to stop Jackson from hitting the ground too hard. 

“I can keep going,” the King says, arm still raised. Kunpimook and Mark carefully move Jackson out of harm's way, making sure the unconscious male will be safe. Jinyoung moves to Jaebum's side, putting a hand on his back. 

“Calm down,” Jinyoung whispers. Jaebum's breathing is still heavy, but it begins to slow as he takes deep breaths. 

“He’ll kill us if we don't do something,” Jaebum whispers back, turning his head slightly to look back at Jinyoung, but his eyes still stay focused on Seung-Li. Jaebum was right, the sorcerer could beat them all with a snap of his fingers. A soft groan steals everyone's attention. Jinyoung looks down, Youngjae is sitting up, looking down at his destroyed shirt and at the newly formed scars where gaping holes should be. 

“W-what happened?” he asks cluelessly, his fingers catching in the holes of his loose shirt. Jaebum kneels down at his side, hands cupping the younger male's pale cheeks. 

“Jinyoung healed you,” Jaebum said breathlessly. Youngjae looked confused as he looks up at Jinyoung. He looked like he was about to say something. But a roaring voice cuts him off. 

“You're dead, Youngjae!” Seung-Li screams, storming towards the group. Mark pulls an arrow from his quiver aiming at the King. Jaebum rises to his feet, his sword drawn. Yugyeom screams a war cry and rushes forward. Seung-Li reacts, pushing both hands out. An invisible wave crashes into Yugyeom, throwing him to the side. The wave continues rolling forward, clearing a path. Jaebum tries to resist the magic but is soon pushed back, tripping over Youngjae's outstretched legs and falling onto his back. 

Youngjae scrambles to get to his feet, trying to find something to use as a weapon against the sorcerer. Seung-Li marches forward, wrapping his hands around Youngjae's scarred neck and squeezing. The air is trapped in his throat, unable to reach his lungs. Youngjae gasps, his fingers clawing against Seung-Li’s hand, his nails digging into the skin and drawing blood. 

“I will kill you, right here, right now,” Seung-Li growls, pulling a blade from his coat. Youngjae grits his teeth, struggling to get out of Seung-Li’s grip. Finally, the Prince kicks out his leg, hitting Seung-Li in the stomach, causing him to release Youngjae. At this time, Jaebum is on his feet, wiping blood from a cut on his forehead. Youngjae's blonde hair is plastered to his forehead from sweat. His face is red from the lack of air while Seung-Li had strangled him. Jaebum just stares at him for a moment before advancing suddenly, his lips capturing Youngjae’s in a chaste kiss. He pulls back slowly, breathing heavily. 

“Kick his ass baby,” Jaebum says, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. Youngjae responds with a smirk, before turning back to Seung-Li. The sorcerer screams in frustration and runs forward, dagger aimed at Youngjae. Jaebum tosses Youngjae his sword, who catches it just in time to block Seung-Li’s attack. The King's eyes are wide with insanity. Youngjae kicks his leg out again, jabbing Seung-Li in the side. The King recovers quickly, spinning on his heels, his elbow coming up and catching Youngjae in the nose. Blood spurts from his nose as he stumbles away. The sudden pain blurs his vision. Youngjae narrows his eyes, wiping away the blood flowing from his possibly broken nose. 

“You can't win,” Seung-Li sneered, he snapped his fingers. Youngjae was frozen. Unable to move. Youngjae screamed, trying with all his might to move at least one limb. Seung-Li looks satisfied, like he has won. He traces his blade up Youngjae's arm, over his collarbones, up his neck, before finally dragging it over his heart. “One stab here,” Seung-Li sighs, putting a little pressure on the blade before slowly dragging it over Youngjae's throat, “or one quick swipe here.”

“I'll fucking kill you,” Youngjae growled, tears in his eyes. He doesn't know what triggered them, maybe he sudden fear of death. He was sure, now he would die.

“I want to watch you die slowly,” Seung-Li smirks. He places the blade at Youngjae's left shoulder, slowly and painfully, dragging it across his torso. Youngjae screamed in pain, the blade cutting into his skin. The crazed look in Seung-Li’s eyes is all he can see as he positions the tip of the blade over his abdomen. “This is how I killed your father, right here. I watched him slowly bleed out,” Seung-Li says. Youngjae goes silent as the world around him falls apart. 

Seung-Li murdered his father. 

“Y-you killed him,” Youngjae breathed out, looking down. Seung-Li chuckled, slowly pushing the blade in. Youngjae grit his teeth. The tears flowed from his eyes, unable to stop. “He was a good man, a-and you killed him,” he says. His eyes find Seung-Li’s again. But the King is gazing at him, eyes glossy, void of life. Jaebum stands behind him, sword sticking out of Seung-Li’s chest. The feeling in his limbs return and he falls to the ground. 

“Jinyoung! He's bleeding bad, you need to heal him again,” Jaebum yelled. Youngjae's vision was blurring. Jinyoung was at his side in seconds. He could feel the other's fingers pressing against his chest. Nothing happened. “Jinyoung!” Jaebum yelps. 

“It's not working!” Jinyoung screamed. It sounded like he was underwater. Youngjae's eyes begin to close, his head falling to the side. 

“Youngjae!” a voice yells before everything goes black again.

-x-

“Come on Algor, we need to go faster. Please try,” Jaebum pleads from the dragon’s back. The large ice blue dragon soars through the sky back to the Kingdom. If they had to, they would force the healers in the castle to help. They had to keep Youngjae alive. The wind swirled around them as they flew, Jaebum shivering from the lack of clothing. His ripped shirt was tied around Youngjae's abdomen, along with pieces of fabric from Yugyeom’s shirt. Blood had soaked through the thin fabric at an alarming rate. Algor begins to soar down towards the ground, the grand image of the palace coming into view. People were all over the streets, gazing up as the dragons descended from the sky and onto the ground. They all had shocked looks on their faces. 

“We need a healer or your King will die!” Jaebum screamed. The people around him flinched, all whispering to each other. A tall man approaches from the crowd, his light colored hair falling into his eyes. He gazes skeptically at Jaebum, before giving him a look of pure defiance. 

“I do not offer my service to Seung-Li or his affiliates,” the man sneers. The people around him shout in agreement. Weren't the people of Saeris completely loyal to Seung-Li? The sorcerer was dead now. Was it possibly that he had used magic to gain support? He had no time to think of logic behind this, he needed to get help for Youngjae. Jinyoung and Mark were helping get Youngjae off of Algor’s back while Kunpimook and Yugyeom were supporting a weary looking Jackson. 

The tall man's eyes widen when he sees Youngjae. “Oh my god, Youngjae,” he breathes out. He turns and shouts to the people rallied around him. “I need medical supplies and a spare room to help him,” he yells out. A few people disperse, running into nearby homes to grab the medical supplies they had.

“There's a spare room in my home, it’s very close!” a man yells out, offering space to the tall male. 

“Come, bring them both,” the tall male says, following the man who had offered them space. A woman followed the group with a basket full of bandages, thread, needles and antiseptic. Jaebum turns his head, gazing back at Jinyoung and Mark holding Youngjae up, blood staining his white shirt. Dark red stains around his shoulders and his lower abdomen. His skin is paler than usual. He looks dead.

The group is rushed into a small home. “I will treat Youngjae first,” the tall man says before thanking the woman who had brought the medical supplies. Jinyoung and Mark take Youngjae into a room, carefully laying him on the small bed. Jaebum follows, watching as the man focuses quickly, using a small blade to cut off Youngjae's shirt to expose the wound to the air.

“Who are you?” Jaebum asks suddenly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“Jaebum,” Mark whispers, slapping him on the shoulder for the rudeness in his tone. The tall man laughs softly but he never takes his eyes away from the bleeding wound as he cleans the blood away. 

“I understand your wariness. My name is Seokjin. I used to work for Youngjae's mother and father in the palace,” the man, Seokjin, responds. The pale skin around the jagged wound is cleaned. More red liquid bubbles at the top of the wound, threatening to spill over Youngjae's perfect skin. “Does anyone have medical experience?” Seokjin asks, finally looking up. All six other Dragon Riders are in the room. Jinyoung raises his hand and steps forward. “Can you press this towel against the wound, we should slow the bleeding as much as we can before I can stitch it up,” Seokjin explains. 

“Got it,” Jinyoung says, taking the towel. He presses the white cloth against the wound, the cloth absorbing the blood. He applies pressure to the cloth and the wound to slow the bleeding as much as possible. Seokjin walks over to the basket, taking out the needle and thread, cleaning off the needle before preparing the thread. About a minute later, Jinyoung lifts the cloth to inspect the rate of the bleeding. “Jaebum, check his pulse,” Jinyoung orders, licking his lips nervously. Jaebum wastes no time, stepping to Youngjae's side. He carefully drags two fingers over Youngjae's neck to find the spot where his neck meets his shoulders to find his pulse. 

“It's fast, and weak,” Jaebum says nervously after having to press down slightly to find the pulse. 

“Shit,” Jinyoung curses, “we have to stitch the wound now or he’ll bleed out.” Seokjin rushes to Jinyoung's side, motioning for him to move the bloody towel. The bleeding is slower, perfect. Before beginning, Seokjin grabs a different towel, wiping away small flecks of dirt from the skin around the wound. Jaebum watches carefully as the needle digs into the skin, pulling the thread through to pull the skin together. 

“I can finish up in here, go sit your other friend down in the living room, so what you can for him, I'll be out as soon as I'm finished,” Seokjin said as he continues to suture the wound. Jaebum shivers as the needle digs into Youngjae's already wounded skin. He turns away, he doesn't want to leave Youngjae, but he's sure the Prince will survive. And Jackson is looking very pale as well. 

“He's going to get better,” Mark says, patting Jaebum on the shoulder. The younger male frowns, casting one look back at Youngjae before letting the older male lead him out of the room. 

As they leave, Seokjin gazes at the doorway. “Oh Youngjae, I'm so sorry,” he whispers, a tear falling from his eye, landing on Youngjae's stomach. The healer sutures the gash created by Seung-Li, cleaning away the blood that had leaked out. He wipes sweat from his forehead. He places his hands on the edge of the bed, his hands stained red with Youngjae’s blood. 

“Your mother and father would be so proud of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna get real sappy in the next chapter, just an fyi. 
> 
> There's been a lot of pain and angst, so get ready for OT7 and fluff. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	19. This Is Our Time, No Turning Back

“Youngjae,” a soft voice whispers. Youngjae opens his eyes. He's not at the ruins of his old summer home anymore. He's in the throne room of the palace. The lights are off, old drapes covering the windows. The Prince gets to his feet and looks around, taking in more of his surroundings. He's alone, he's not even sure if there's anyone in the palace at all. He can't hear anything but his own heavy breathing. 

“J-Jaebum?” Youngjae calls out, his voice shaky. No response. He begins to wonder if any of this is even real. How would he have gotten to the palace to just be left alone? He feels something drip onto his forehead from the ceiling. He looks up in confusion, the ceiling is decorated with gorgeous murals painted centuries ago. Nothing seems wrong or out of place. He looks down and begins to walk to the closed doors. Once he's feet away from the door, he feels another drop on his head. He ignores it this time and reaches out for the doorknob. His finger tips brush over the doorknob, it's slippery. Youngjae pulls his hand back in confusion and turns it to look at his palm. 

Dark red blood is streaked over his palm. His eyes widen in fear as he looks up as something drips onto his cheek. He wipes his cheek with his finger and pulls it back to look. Blood. Youngjae yelps and jumps back. His breathing grows rapid and uneven as the dark substance begins raining from the ceiling, covering his face and staining his clothes. Youngjae screams, rushing to the door and pulling on the doorknob. But the door won't budge. Blood rains on and around him as he races to the windows. He hides behind the curtain and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to calm himself down. But it doesn't work. He's starting to panic. He opens his eyes and looks out the window to see nothing but burning houses and bare land. A liquid like substance laps at his ankles causes him to look down. Blood, more blood. Youngjae screams again, pounding on the windows. 

“Please, help!” he screams, no one is going to hear him, but he screams anyways. The room fills with blood, trapping the Prince inside to drown in the god awful substance. His clothes and skin are stained red. The rotten, metallic smell fills his nose, he wants to vomit. Once the blood is too high, Youngjae is forced to tread in the thick substance to stay alive as long as he can. The room continues to fill, now even faster. It isn't long before Youngjae's hands are pressing against the ceiling. Blood gets into his mouth and nose, causing him to gag. Soon their is no space for air, just blood, and Youngjae slowly drowning. 

“Death will follow you like a pack of hungry wolves, but only if you allow it,” a voice echoes inside his mind before his last breath leaves him.

-x-

Youngjae's eyes shoot open, his breath returning to him. Seokjin stands above him, eyes full of worry. Seokjin. “O-oh my god, Youngjae,” Seokjin cries out, wrapping his arms around the Prince. Youngjae is too shocked to react, his arms are limp at his sides before finally realizing this is real. He buries his face in Seokjin’s shoulder, arms wrapping around his waist. And he cries. His body is racked by powerful sobs, his hands trembling. He feels a gentle hand on his back, soothing him by rubbing slow circles into his back.

“It's okay, you're okay, Youngjae,” Seokjin says quietly. Youngjae looks over Seokjin’s shoulder. He sees Jaebum, his arms being held back by Jackson and Yugyeom. 

five minutes earlier

“Seokjin, he's not breathing!” Jinyoung yells from the room Youngjae lay in. Jaebum stands up immediately, his eyes full of anger as he points at Seokjin accusingly. 

“You were the last one in there,” Jaebum snarled, “you tried to kill him.” Seokjin looks scared. Jinyoung sees his fear and ushers him into the room. 

“He's just worried, forgive him please,” Jinyoung quickly apologizes. Seokjin is already at Youngjae's side, beginning to perform CPR. He plugs the Prince’s nose, blowing air into his mouth before pulling away to press on his chest four time, checking to see if he's breathing again before repeating the process. Jinyoung can hear Jaebum's angry yelling as he tries to get into the room. Yugyeom and Jackson grab hold of his arms to hold him back. 

“Jaebum, stop,” Jinyoung demands, glaring at the other male. Seokjin stops, checking Youngjae's pulse. 

“He's breathing,” Seokjin sighs in relief, “he's going to be okay.” Jaebum stares wide eyed Youngjae suddenly opens his eyes. 

present time

“You idiot!” Youngjae scolded, hitting Jaebum in the side of the head. “Seokjin hyung would never hurt me in any way.” Jaebum looked at the Prince apologetically. Youngjae crossed his arms in front of his chest, giving him a look. Jaebum sighs and groans in annoyance. 

“I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, I-I was just worried about Youngjae,” Jaebum apologizes, bowing his head to show his sincerity. Seokjin waves him off.

“Don't worry about it, I get it,” Seokjin says. Youngjae pushes himself off of the bed, but his legs give out underneath him. Seokjin catches him under his arms. “Careful, you lost a lot of blood, you should rest,” he says. Youngjae flinches, hesitating before he nods his head. Jinyoung notices the slight flinch, he’ll talk to Youngjae once he's feeling better. 

“How long have I been out?” Youngjae asked, rubbing his eyes. His tongue slipped out of his mouth, licking his dry lips.

“Three days,” Jinyoung says, walking to the side of the bed where Seokjin is helping Youngjae sit down. The Prince’s eyes went wide.

“Three days?” he yelped in surprise. He looked to Seokjin for confirmation. The taller male nodded his head. “Shit,” Youngjae breathed out.

“We’ll let you rest, we’ll just be in the other room,” Seokjin says, helping Youngjae lay down, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes. Youngjae smiles and whispers something to Seokjin before closing his eyes. Jaebum's eyes watch Youngjae's face as he drifts into sleep. A small smile pulls at the corners of his mouth seeing the Prince looking so peaceful. 

“Come on hyung,” Yugyeom says, releasing Jaebum's arm and tugging on his shirt sleeve. He doesn't budge until Jinyoung ushers everyone out of the room, leaving Jaebum and Youngjae alone. Jaebum stands at Youngjae's bedside. He kneels beside the bed and sighs, putting his head down. 

 

“I'll move, hyung. You can rest with me,” Youngjae's soft voice says. Jaebum looks up at the sleepy Prince. 

“But you're hurt,” Jaebum argues, but Youngjae won't have it. He scoots to the side of the bed against the wall, giving Jaebum enough space to lay down next to him. The older male sighs in defeat and gets up to climb into the bed beside Youngjae. 

“You can chase the dreams away,” Youngjae breathes out as he closes his eyes, adjusting his body next to Jaebum's. Jaebum gives him a weird look and frowns. 

“Sleep my Prince, I will be here until you wake,” Jaebum says quietly, pressing his lips against Youngjae's temple before closing his eyes. He hasn't realized how tired he was until a wave of exhaustion rolled over him. He quickly fell into a deep, comforting sleep. 

-x-

“Careful, you're legs are still bruised and weak,” Seokjin’s says softly as Jaebum and Jackson support Youngjae as he walks out of the small house. Mark bows respectfully to the owner of the house, thanking him for giving them space to treat their injured. Youngjae pushes on the two other male’s shoulders to stay off of his feet. 

“I-I can walk,” he says, determination filling his eyes. Jaebum shakes his head, holding Youngjae's arm over his shoulders. Youngjae glares at him. “I can't have the people thinking I'm weak,” the Prince says simply. Jaebum can see the pain written over his face as he attempts to put weight on his weak legs. The house they had stayed in, that was located at the edge of the kingdom, had a yard large enough for the dragons to stay. 

“Algor, come,” Jaebum calls out. The large ice blue colored dragon walks forward. Sage is close behind, her eyes finding Youngjae. Youngjae hadn't seen the dragon since the battle with Seung-Li, which wasn't long ago. But after living the majority of his life with her, every minute away from her seemed like years. 

“Seokjin hyung, you can come with me,” Youngjae says. Youngjae removes his arms from over Jaebum and Jackson's shoulders, limping towards Seokjin. The medic wraps an arm around his waist to support the younger male. Jaebum looks over at him and lets out a long sigh. He walks towards Algor, patting the dragon’s side. Algor lowers his head as Jaebum climbs onto his back. 

“Let's go bud,” Jaebum says. Algor growls as he beats his powerful wings, pushing his strong body off of the ground. Once they are high enough, Jaebum looks over his shoulders to check if everyone is ready. Then, him and Algor lead the way to the palace. The reaction the people give them is very different then the first reactions they received. People had rushed out to see the Dragon Riders and their rightful King flying overhead. Jaebum could hear cheering, shouts of joy. 

While waiting for everyone to recover, Jaebum had talked to Seokjin about Seung-Li. Seokjin had told him how Seung-Li had used magic to gain support from the Saerin people. Once he was killed, the magic wore off and the people remembered everything. Everything Seung-Li had done. They wanted their true King. They wanted Youngjae on the throne. Behind him and Algor, Youngjae rode atop Sage, Seokjin settled behind him, arms wrapped around the Prince’s waist. The wind roughly hits Jaebum's skin, tossing his dark hair into his eyes. Soon, the dragons land in the back of the palace after Youngjae instructs them. 

In the back of the palace, there is a large field with enough space for the dragons to stay. Jaebum slips off of Algor’s back, turning and looking up at his companion. “Good job bud, you should rest now,” Jaebum says, rubbing the side of the dragon’s neck. He can feel vibrations as Algor lets out a soft purring noise. Jaebum smiles and walks towards the others. Youngjae gazed up at the walls of the palace in awe, adoration clear in his eyes. Jaebum admired the sparkle in his eyes as Seokjin suggested they go inside.

Youngjae bounded towards the gate that fenced in a beautiful garden. Seokjin was close behind to support him if he fell or stumbled. “Come on, you're lagging behind,” Jackson shouts back at Jaebum. Jaebum sighs and picks up his pace, jogging to catch up with the others.

-x-

Youngjae was overcome with joy as he skipped into the palace. As he entered, the entire room seemed to lighten up. The dull wallpaper lightens in color as the Prince makes his presence known to the halls. “Wow,” Kunpimook gasps, standing openmouthed next to Yugyeom. Youngjae laughs softly. “You really lived here?” Kunpimook asked excitedly.

“Yes, I did,” Youngjae said with a smile. He then turns to Seokjin. “Seokjin can you find any kitchen staff to prepare a feast, any guards to find the needs of the people, tomorrow we greet our people,” the Prince says pridefully. Seokjin nods happily as rushes off to the kitchen. Youngjae turns to the other dragon riders, any fatigue or pain was hidden under Youngjae's joy of finally being home. 

“I'm sure we have extra rooms, some big enough for three,” Youngjae says, eyeing Mark, Jackson and Jinyoung. 

“Lead the way hyung!” Yugyeom says eagerly. Youngjae laughs and begins walking down the hall. Jaebum jogs to Youngjae's side, quickly capturing Youngjae's hand is his own. The Prince looks down at their intertwined hands before looking up at Jaebum with a happy smile. 

“It will only get better from here,” Jaebum says confidently. Hopefully all of the hard times were behind them and they could all live peacefully in the palace. After walking for about five minutes, they reach a staircase. Youngjae eyes the stairs warily before carefully lifting a leg. Jaebum lifts him off of his feet to carry him up the stairs. Youngjae yelps in surprise as he hooks his arms around Jaebum's neck. 

“Which way, your highness?” Jaebum asks after reaching the top of the staircase. Youngjae rolls his eyes, cheeks growing pink in embarrassment. 

“I can walk on my own,” Youngjae complained. Jaebum shakes his head stubbornly. 

“Which way?” Jinyoung asks, gazing down the hall. Youngjae points left, Jaebum turns to walk left down the hall. As they walk, they encounter a maid, her eyes growing wide as the dragon riders approach. 

“Your Majesty, thank god you are safe. Once I learned of your return, we began to clean up our spare rooms to accommodate your friends,” the maid explains, she's practically jumping with excitement. Youngjae blushed again, a sweet smile on his face. 

“Thank you so much, I don't know what was done to this palace while I was absent. I would appreciate if you could assess any damage done and clean up around here,” Youngjae says sweetly. The maid nods quickly.

“Of course Your Majesty,” she smiles before rushing past the dragon riders. Jackson snickers from behind them. 

“Damn, they love you a lot,” he says. Youngjae shrugs his shoulder and scratches his head in slight embarrassment. 

“I guess so, now let's get going,” Youngjae says, looking down at his feet with a smile on his face. The Prince continues down the hallway, limping slightly, favoring his left leg. Jaebum stays close behind, ready to offer support. Youngjae stops at a door, opening the door. The room that was revealed was the definition of elegant. The walls were beige, designs carved into the wood. The floor was decorated with a soft cream colored carpet. The bed was king sized, the four bed posts supported the canopy hung from the ceiling. 

There was a gorgeous beige couch sitting against the wall beside the large window. Cream curtains hung to cover the window. The dresser and closet doors were decorated with intricate carvings. “Yugyeom and Kunpimook, this can be your room,” Youngjae says. Kunpimook's eyes are the size of saucers as he steps into the beautiful room. “I suggest you both wash up before you stain the bed,” the Prince laughs. 

“Okay hyung!” Yugyeom says happily, taking Kunpimook's hand before dragging him into the room and into the connected bathroom. Youngjae closes the door and walks across the hall to open another door to a larger room. The room is similar to Yugyeom and Kunpimook’s except the colors are different. The walls were a lovely olive green, with the accent pieces of furniture being a soft terracotta. 

“This room is for Mark, Jackson and Jinyoung,” Youngjae says. Youngjae turns to see the exhausted smile on Jinyoung's face as he lets out a relieved sigh. 

“Thank you, Youngjae,” Mark says, bowing his head to the Prince. Youngjae waves him off.

“You all saved my life, you can all be protected and safe here,” Youngjae smiles. Mark hugs him tightly, hiding his face in the younger male's shoulder. “Go wash up hyung, you'll all feel better,” he says softly. Mark nods and pulls away, following Jackson and Jinyoung into the room, closing the door carefully.

“Now is it our turn?” Jaebum wondered, placing his calloused hands on Youngjae's sore shoulders. The Prince takes Jaebum's hands, dropping them down to his side, his pointer finger wrapped around Jaebum's fingers. 

“Let's go,” Youngjae says, leading him down the hall to a room at the end of the hall. This was the room that belonged to the King and Queen. Youngjae suddenly felt sad as he thought about his mother, he wanted to know what had happened to her, how had she died? He carefully pushes the door open. The room was beautiful. The king sized bed sat against the wall to the right, the window on the far wall let light inside to brighten up the walls. The wallpaper was blue with gold accents. The furniture was a light grey color decorated with golden silk blankets. Youngjae walked inside, looking around the room that once belonged to his parents. He decided to go straight to the bathroom so he could wash up. Jaebum closed the door behind them, following the Prince into the bathroom. 

Youngjae caught his reflection in the mirror, and just stares. His skin was pale, eyes dull. His skin was bruised, clothes ripped and stained with blood and dirt. He looked awful. Jaebum's tan skin was bruised and cut up along his arms and chest. Jaebum sighs and kisses the top of Youngjae's head before turning to the bath and turning on the hot water, running his fingers under the water until he finds the perfect temperature. Youngjae turns away from the mirror and closes the bathroom door before stripping off his shirt. The stitched wound on his abdomen is red with irritation. Jaebum eyed it skeptically. 

“We should wrap the wound to avoid it getting infected,” Jaebum suggested as he too pulls the old shirt from his upper body. Youngjae nods in agreement not saying a word. He had kept up a happy facade for the others, waiting until was with Jaebum to break. Jaebum rummages through the bathroom cupboards. 

“There should be bandages in here,” Youngjae says quietly. The bandage over the wound had been removed, Youngjae looked down at the stitched gash. Jaebum fished a container of white thick bandages out of the cupboard. He grabbed a roll of the bandages and began wrapping the fabric around Youngjae's abdomen, covering the wound. He tapes the end down and puts the bandages away. He turns off the water in the bath and slips off his pants. Youngjae blushed and looked away. 

“It's okay, Jae,” Jaebum says softly. Youngjae bits his lip before slowly slipping out of his dirty pants and underwear. Jaebum stands beside him as he helps the younger gets into the bath. Jaebum gets into the large tub, sitting behind Youngjae. He gently lets the younger lean back against his chest. Youngjae just lets it happen, closing his eyes, letting Jaebum massage his shoulders. 

“You okay?” Jaebum asked, his voice soft. Youngjae nodded slowly. 

“I think so,” he responds, opening his eyes slightly. His hands play with the water, splashing some onto his chest, rinsing away dirt and blood. 

“Just relax, you're so tense, I'll take care of you,” Jaebum says soothingly. That's what causes the wave of hidden exhaustion to roll over Youngjae. He closes his eyes again, and leaves his body in the hands of Jaebum. He knows he's safe in the other’s arms. He finally feels safe, after being in danger for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it'd be sappy. 
> 
> The first book in this trilogy is almost over! I've decided the plot for the next book, it won't focus much on the dragons, but the third book will.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you stay tuned for more!
> 
> Also, if you have any questions about this au, I'd be glad to answer them! If you have questions, leave them in the comments!


	20. Faith Falls Hard On Our Shoulders, But Legends Never Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for the last chapter! 
> 
> This chapter jumps around a bit, and I'm so sorry it took so long to upload!

“Come on Youngjae, hurry up. You haven't eaten properly for weeks,” Jaebum calls out. Youngjae has been getting dressed in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes. Seokjin had come to tell them that dinner was just about ready and to meet everyone else in the dining room. But the bathroom door stayed closed. Jaebum sighed, he sat at the foot of the bed, and he waited patiently. Jaebum was about to let Youngjae know he was going to head down to the dining room when he heard the door of the bathroom slowly creaking open. Youngjae stands in the doorway. Jaebum's eyes travel up and down his body. He looks stunning.

Youngjae is dressed in black fitted pants, black shoes and a lace up olive green, long sleeve tunic that was tightened around his waist by a wide black belt. Youngjae's blonde hair had been combed into place, the dirt cleaned from his fragile skin. When he noticed Jaebum's eyes on him, he looked away, a blush appearing on his cheeks. Jaebum smiled and got up, taking Youngjae's hand. “Come on, it's dinner time,” Jaebum says, intertwining their fingers as he leads Youngjae out of the bedroom. Youngjae stays at his side, their hands clasped together. Jaebum notices how Youngjae carries himself now. He walks with confidence (or he tries his best to), his keeps his shoulders back and his chin held high. But Jaebum doesn't miss the twitch of his lips every few seconds most likely from the dull pain in his abdomen.

Jaebum knows Youngjae's legs are still weak and badly bruised, but Youngjae hasn't asked for help yet. If Jaebum notices he's in too much pain, he'll act. When they come to the stairs, Youngjae eyes them with pure determination. He slowly makes his way down his steps, hissing slightly as his muscles ache. Jaebum stands at his side for support in case the other male needs it. Youngjae gets down the staircase without needing Jaebum's help and continues on to the dining room where everyone will be waiting for them. From the end of the hall, Jaebum can hear voices inside what he assumes is the dining room. He squeezes Youngjae's hand and leads the Prince inside the room. Mark notices them first and stands up, the noise of his chair pushing back alerting everyone else in the room.

“Hyung!” Kunpimook gasps. Jaebum notices how everyone looks so different. Everyone is clean and properly dressed. Everyone is safe. The kitchen staff happily make their way around the table, places down silverware and plates before exiting the kitchen with plates of food. Jaebum leads Youngjae to the table where he pulls out a chair for him. 

“Thank you,” Youngjae says with a smile as he sits down. Jaebum pushes the chair in slightly before taking a seat beside Youngjae. Beside Youngjae is Jackson, Mark is seated at the head of the table while Jinyoung, Yugyeom and Kunpimook are seated on the opposite side of the long table. Plates filled with meat and fresh fruit and vegetables are places at the center of the table. Jaebum can feel his mouth water just by looking at the food. Some food that he hadn't seen in months. 

“Thank you for the food!” Youngjae exclaims. The rest of the group also expresses their gratitude towards the kitchen staff before beginning to pass the food around the table. Jaebum smiles as he piles meat onto his plate before passing it onto Youngjae. He grabs a slice of watermelon, something he hadn't eaten since he had been chased out of the Kingdom when Seung-Li came to power. Once everyone has gotten their food, Youngjae speaks.

“I want to thank you all for helping me take the Kingdom back. I couldn't have done anything if you hadn't helped me escape,” Youngjae says suddenly. Jinyoung smiles, reaching across the table, placing his hand over Youngjae's. 

“We had to save you, you were one of us. And the rightful King,” Jinyoung responds. A smile tugs at the older male's lips, causing Youngjae to smile as well. 

“It was Jaebum who brought you up. He had been visiting the Kingdom recently, hiding his identity of course. He learned about the parade about a week before it happened and we started planning,” Jackson explains. That sparks Youngjae's interest, Jaebum can tell. The younger looks over to him, his eyes sparkling. Youngjae didn't know the story about how his rescue was planned.

“We knew you were imprisoned when he found Jackson about two months after the majority of Dragon Riders were killed. The rest of us had fled too early to hear,” Jaebum starts, “when we brought Jackson in, he told us that you were being imprisoned. At that point we had no idea how to help you.” Youngjae listens carefully, leaning close. 

“My mother knew you were going to rescue me, how did she know?” Youngjae wonders. Jaebum can see the hesitation as he mentions his mother. The memory of the late Queen’s broken body filling everyone's mind. 

“We sent Kunpimook into the palace as a worker, he told your mother our plan,” Jaebum answers. Youngjae nods slowly, looking down at his plate. He takes his fork and stabs at a piece of steak. 

“Well, thank you,” the Prince says, his head stays down, but Jaebum spots the small smile on his face. 

-x-

After dinner, the group had disbanded, heading to explore the palace. Jaebum hadn't seen where Youngjae had gone. He had checked their room and he had gone back to the dining room. He spotted Seokjin helping clean up and approached him. “Seokjin, do you know where Youngjae is?” he asked. Seokjin looks over at him and shakes his head.

“I don't, but he could be out in the garden,” Seokjin says. Jaebum nods and thanks Seokjin before turning to leave the dining room. He walks the quiet halls of the palace, his eyes scanning the intricate designs of the wallpaper. He reaches the doors to exit the palace and slowly opens them. The garden and forest behind the palace is revealed. The dragon's are laying in the field, resting after days of stress and exhaustion. Jaebum scans the garden before, walking down the small staircase. He spots Youngjae through a patch of tall blue flowers. The younger male is sitting on the concrete, his legs crossed. He's gazing at a patch of vibrant purple flowers. Jaebum approaches him, he notices how Youngjae flinches when he hears Jaebum's footsteps. 

“You okay?” Jaebum asked. Youngjae turns his head and smiles up at the other male.

“Yeah,” Youngjae said softly, gazing back at the flowers. Jaebum squats down next to him. It was like the younger was waiting for something to happen. When the clouds uncovered the moon and the light shone down on the garden, Jaebum could see the flowers beginning to glow, dimly at first but they got brighter by the second. Youngjae smiled as brightly as the flowers as they were lit up by the light of the moon. 

“My mother planted these flowers with me, they're our favorites,” Youngjae says with a sigh. Jaebum puts an arm over Youngjae's shoulders, gazing at the glowing flower petals. Youngjae's eyes sparkle from the luminescent glow. The soft night breeze began to blow, rustling the leaves of the bushes and trees. Jaebum could feel the chill of goosebumps creeping up his arms as the night air hit him. 

“It's getting cold, let’s go inside. We all need to get some rest,” Jaebum suggests, standing up and reaching his hand out. 

“I was just out for three days, I'm fine,” Youngjae protests, his eyes never leaving the glowing flowers in front of him. Jaebum frowns, he is not letting Youngjae stay out in the cold.

“You're tired, I can see it in your eyes, come on,” Jaebum says. He can see Youngjae move slightly towards Jaebum's outstretched hand. He hesitates but turns his body and takes Jaebum's hand, the other male helping him pull himself off of the ground. There are now tears in Youngjae's eyes as he takes another glance down at the glowing purple flowers. 

“I really miss her, hyung,” Youngjae says softly. Jaebum knew he was talking about his mother. He nods and pulls Youngjae into his arms. “I don't even know what happened to her,” the Prince whispers into Jaebum's chest. Jaebum rubs his back soothingly. 

“I know, we will try to get answers tomorrow. Now we should go inside,” Jaebum says as another breeze brushes against his skin. Youngjae nods slowly and lets Jaebum lead him into the palace.

-x-

“How is he?” Mark asks, leaning over to Jaebum. The group had met in the main hall of the palace, waiting for the doors to be opened so the Dragon Riders could meet the people of Saeris. But Youngjae still hadn't risen from bed. He had told Jaebum to meet the others and that he would join them soon. But he hadn't arrived yet. Kunpimook fixes the ties at the front of Yugyeom’s shirt before hugging him tightly. 

“Not good, it's his mother he's upset about,” Jaebum explains. As he speaks, Seokjin is coming down the staircase. He approaches Jaebum, a frown on his face. 

“I told Youngjae what I know about what happened to her,” he announces. Jaebum turns to him, waiting for more. “She killed herself, threw herself off Palace Cliff into the sea. A few weeks after you rescued Youngjae, she overheard Seung-Li talking about using the Queen to lure Youngjae back into the Kingdom,” Seokjin explains, his breathing becomes shaky. “She didn't want Youngjae to be found, so she killed herself,” he finishes. The Queen had been loved by everyone, she had been kind and loving to everyone she encountered. Jaebum looks down and closes his eyes.

“I'm sorry for your loss,” Jinyoung says softly. Seokjin frowns and lets out a shaky sigh. 

“I hope telling him will give him closure,” Seokjin says. As if that was a cue, Youngjae appears at the top of the staircase. If possible, he looks even more stunning than the night before. He's dressed in fitted black pants and a loose, flowy white shirt. His hair is tousled atop his head but he still looks gorgeous.

“I'm okay,” Youngjae announces as if he knows what the conversation was about. He probably did know. He makes his way down the stairs, towards the Dragon Riders. “Let’s open the doors,” the Prince says. His eyes are puffy, a sign that he had been crying. But he looks like he's at peace. Seokjin told him what had happened to his mother, now he wasn't left wondering what had happened. Seokjin nods happily. The large doors creak as they begin to open. Sunlight pours in through the grand doorway, filling the hall. The loud cheers of the people waiting outside can be heard as the Dragon Riders make their way outside and down the staircase toward the people. 

The last time the Dragon Riders had been greeted by a crowd, the people wanted them dead. But Seung-Li’s spell was broken now. These people could show their true feeling about their Prince, soon to be King. Youngjae leads the Dragon Riders down towards the crowd. Soldiers are on watch for any threats, keeping an eye on the people. Youngjae reaches the crowd and kneels down in front of a young girl that had been calling his name. “Call me oppa,” Youngjae smiles. The girl giggles and mentions something about having a present for Youngjae. “Really? Wow!” Youngjae exclaims. The girl pulls out a beautifully weaved flower crown and places it atop Youngjae's head. The pastel flowers make him look ethereal. 

“Thank you so much,” Youngjae says happily, patting the girl on the head before standing up straight. The mother of the girl shakes his hand enthusiastically, thanking him for his kindness. The people love Youngjae. They adore him. The others are being praised by the crowd, Jaebum stands alone, still on the staircase. His eyes scan the crowd, watching as people jump in excitement, itching to get a glimpse at the last Dragon Riders of Saeris. It's a strange feeling. The loud cheering, the praise, the emotion. He has heard a few people crying tears of joy. 

“Jaebum-ah!” Jackson calls from the front of the crowd. Jaebum can see the pure happiness in his eyes. This is the happiest they've all been. Jaebum couldn't remember a time where the weren't worried about if the next day would be their last. Even in their secluded home in the forest, they were worried. A caravan passing through could've discovered them and turned them in for a reward. The elves in the nearby village could've alerted the Kingdom of the Dragon Riders base. So much could've gone wrong. Thinking about the home, Jaebum thinks of Taehyung, Jungkook, Yoongi and Jimin. 

The four Thonadians were told to stay there until they could safely return to Thonada. They would have to go back to the house to retrieve them. They were probably wondering if the Dragon Riders had succeeded. Jaebum made a mental note to head to the house as soon as possible to bring them into the Kingdom so they could go home. A tug on his shirt sleeve brings him into reality. Youngjae is standing a few steps below, his fingers hooked into the cuff of Jaebum's long sleeve shirt. “Come on, the people want to meet you,” Youngjae says. There's a sparkle in his eyes. Something Jaebum hadn't seen until they had gotten to the palace. “You're a hero, Jaebum,” Youngjae adds moments later.

Hero.

Jaebum silently lets that word sink below his skin. He's never been called a hero before. He had heard childhood tales of heroes, heroes that traveled all of the lands and seas, saving people from harm. Youngjae tugs on his shirt sleeve again, causing him to stumble forward slightly, moving down a few steps. Youngjae then intertwines their fingers and leads Jaebum towards the crowd of cheering people.

-x-

“I now name Choi Youngjae, the King of Saeris,” the Clergy announces after a golden crown had been placed atop Youngjae's held. The bright sapphires decorating the crown looked stunning against the gold of the crown and the blonde of Youngjae's hair. A fur cloak is placed over his shoulders and a scepter is placed in his hand. The Choi family crest is carved into the shaft. Youngjae turns to the crowd and cheers erupt. 

The Dragon Riders are front row, cheering and yelling Youngjae's name like a proud family. Because that's what they are, a family, but also so much more. Youngjae smiles and bows his head slightly, being careful so the crown doesn't slip off of his head. The sun shines down, creating a nice warmth. Youngjae gazes out at the crowd, his eyes open and observant as he takes in the view. He had never been the center of attention in a good way. While his father was still alive, his father was the center of everything. After he died, Youngjae was always being put in bad situations, being verbally abused for being a Dragon Rider. 

People were afraid of things they couldn't control. For those who couldn't ‘control’ the dragons, they were afraid of them. But know, no one had to be afraid. Everyone could live in peace, and live in peace and unity.

The new age of Saeris is about to begin. The age of power and strength.

-x-

“Thank you, Youngjae. We appreciate all that you've done for us,” Jungkook says, bowing at the waist. Youngjae smiles and nods. 

“I'm glad we could help. You all deserve proper rest,” the newly crowned King advises. Jungkook nods and hugs Youngjae quickly before rushing towards the ship in the harbor, just about ready to set sail for Thonada. Suddenly, a small voice catches his attention.

“Youngjae-ah,” Taehyung says. The older male looks a lot better from the first time Youngjae saw him. His skin was a beautiful sun-kissed tan, his eyes were no longer dull and he seemed to carry himself more confidently. 

“Get home safely, hyung,” Youngjae says, hugging Taehyung. Taehyung hugs back, wrapping his arms around Youngjae's waist.

“We will, say goodbye to the others for me,” Taehyung says with a smile before turning towards the dock. He waves back at Youngjae before rushing to catch up with Jungkook. He catches a sight of Jimin and Yoongi, waving at both of them before they are out of sight. He suddenly begins to wonder about how they all ended up meeting, how fate had brought them together. While looking for Mark, they discovered Taehyung and Jungkook. Victims of the human trafficking ring in Saeris. One of the first things Youngjae was doing as King was stopping human trafficking, stopping the trade and purchasing of human slaves. 

The loud horn of the boat honks, causing Youngjae to look up. He jogs towards the wooden railing of the docks, waving as the ship pulls away from the dock and begins to head out to sea.

Youngjae waits until the boat leaves the dock before walking back to the horse he took to get to the dock. The bay stallion was being held for him by a soldier. “Thank you,” the King smiles, taking the stallion’s reins before mounting. The horse snorts as he turns, trotting down the road, and back to the palace. 

-x-

Five months later

“Are you seriously saying we have another Pirate problem?” Youngjae groaned. Since he had taken back the Kingdom, he was thrust straight into the work of being a King. There were many small problems throughout the Kingdom, caused by Seung-Li’s tyrannical rule. But other problems, were more serious. For example, the Pirates. Pirates had roamed the seas for decades, maybe even centuries. But now they were getting too close to home. 

Missing people have been reported after visiting the sea. Many towns near the ocean had reported robberies and kidnappings. Youngjae sat at his desk, looking over a paper from a Saerin town near the coast. “We should go and investigate,” Youngjae says. Jaebum, who is leaning against the bookshelf beside the desk shakes his head.

“I'll go, I’all take a few others with me. You need to stay here, I'm not letting you out there with Pirates kidnapping people,” Jaebum protests. Youngjae glares at him before looking back down at the paper. Many of the missing people and reported kidnappings were young men and women. Youngjae frowned and put the paper down. 

“We leave tomorrow morning,” he says, standing up.

“And yes, I'm going with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it for the first book in this series! I really hope you enjoyed and I also hope you'll come back for the next book! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the great comments, they really kept me motivated!
> 
> Since school is starting soon, chapters may be released slower, but I'll try my best to get good content out to you all!
> 
> Thank you again for reading!
> 
> -Alexa :)


	21. Requests Are Open!

Hey everyone! While I gather my ideas and plans for the next book in this trilogy, I am opening requests! 

You can request in this AU, with Got7 and BTS.

Just let me know what ship/characters and the plot you would like to see me write and I'll do my best to give you what you ask for!

For now, only requests for this AU because I have to keep my motivation and inspiration for the AU.

The next book should be coming in the next few weeks, so until then I will gladly take requests for this AU! 

Thanks for reading!  
\- Alexa :)


	22. The Next Book Is Up!

Hey everyone! After about a month of not writing, I finally put up the Prolouge to the next book in this series. Can’t wait to see if you all are excited for me to continue this series!

Also if anyone could comment and let me know how to put works into a series that would be amazing, I’ve tried but I can only put works into collections.

Hope I can keep you all entertained!

\- Alexa :)


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